The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has issued comprehensive guidelines for the conduct of branch elections and the appointment of specialised branch committee members across the country, aiming to ensure transparent, free, and fair internal party elections.

According to the guidelines, branch elections will be held for key executive positions, including Chairman, Secretary, Organiser, Treasurer, Communications Officer, Women's Organiser, Youth Organiser, and two additional members. Aspirants must meet specific qualifications, including being registered members of the Party, aged 18 or above, having paid dues for at least a year, and not being members of any other political party.

Active participation within the branch over the last year is also required.

The guidelines further specify that aspirants must be proposed by at least one member and seconded by two paid-up party members.

A filing fee of GHS 20 will be required, and nomination forms will be available at least 10 days prior to the elections. Voting will take place at branch meeting places between 7:00 am and 5:00 pm, unless otherwise directed by the Constituency Executive Committee.

Voting will be conducted by a show of hands or consensus, with no proxy voting allowed.

The Constituency Executive Committee and representatives from the Regional Executive Committee will vet aspirants and supervise the elections.

In cases where only one aspirant is validly nominated, that candidate will be declared elected.

If elections are found to have gross irregularities, the Constituency Executive Committee may nullify the results and order a re-run within seven days.

The NDC has also outlined procedures for appeals, allowing contestants to petition in writing to the Constituency Executive Committee, which must respond within three days.

Unresolved disputes are escalated to the Regional Executive Committee, which has four days to determine the matter.

Beyond elections, branches are mandated to appoint three members each to the Research, Disciplinary, and Electoral Committees within one month of elections.

These committees operate under the supervision of the Branch Executive Committee:

The Research Committee gathers information, conducts studies, and supports branch-level policy and strategic decisions.

The Disciplinary Committee handles party discipline and enforces adherence to constitutional provisions, addressing issues such as anti-party conduct, insubordination, and unauthorised disclosure of confidential information.

The Electoral Committee manages branch-level electoral processes, including registration of members, custody of branch registers, supervision of presidential and parliamentary elections, issuance of biometric ID cards, and coordination with the Electoral Commission. Committee members are ineligible to contest any branch executive position.

The guidelines emphasise that committee members must also meet core qualifications, including being over 18, registered members in good standing, having paid dues for at least a year, and maintaining compliance with Article 40(1) of the NDC Constitution.

The Party’s leadership has stressed that these measures are intended to strengthen internal democracy, ensure accountability, and maintain transparency in the selection of branch executives and committee members across all NDC branches nationwide.