The New Patriotic Party (NPP) Sweden Branch has expressed its support for the decision by the Presidential Election Committee (PEC) to prohibit proxy voting in the upcoming primary.
In a statement signed on behalf of the branch, Chairman Richard Oti-Aboagye said the branch believes the PEC’s decision is in the best interest of the party and will strengthen the electoral process.
“The committee comprises competent individuals who will make decisions in the best interest of the party. We fully support their judgment and have no reason to criticize this decision,” Mr. Oti-Aboagye stated.
He noted that some internal groups had circulated claims suggesting that all 30 external branches opposed the PEC’s move to abolish proxy voting for the January 31, 2026, presidential primary.
“These claims are false and misleading. Not all branch chairpersons were present at the meetings where this petition was conceived, and several have expressed their concerns publicly. The assertion that all external branches unanimously oppose the directive is therefore inaccurate,” he explained.
The NPP Sweden Branch Chairman emphasized that meetings of branch chairpersons alone, without proper consultation with other executive members, cannot make unilateral decisions on behalf of all external branches. “No formal resolution or consensus of all external branches or delegates was ever passed to endorse the petition in question,” he added.
Mr. Oti-Aboagye further stressed that the PEC was constitutionally constituted by the National Council with a clear mandate to plan, organize, supervise, and execute the party’s presidential election process.
“It would be contrary to the intent and spirit of that delegation of authority to insist that every operational guideline, such as the ‘no proxy voting’ directive, must be separately sanctioned by the National Council. Such an interpretation would undermine the operational independence of the PEC and defeat the very purpose for which it was established,” he noted.
According to him, the PEC’s decision to prohibit proxy voting is a measure to safeguard electoral integrity and ensure uniform participation.
“While proxy voting has been practical in the past, it has also presented administrative and accountability challenges, including questions about the authenticity of representation and verification of authorizations. If the PEC, acting within its mandate, believes that banning proxy voting will ensure a credible, transparent, and dispute-free election, then the decision deserves our full support,” Mr. Oti-Aboagye concluded.
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