Pollster Ben Ephson on Thursday cautioned the ruling New Patriotic Party, NPP, to be mindful of the repercussions if it were to ‘excommunicate’ rebellious elements within its ranks. He said the NPP cannot afford to mess up votes, particularly in its stronghold of Ashanti Region where he said at least 16 key members of the party will be contesting the 2008 elections as independent parliamentary candidates, and a resort to party dictum could spell doom for the party. “They can’t sack them,” he posited. The NPP’s constitution provides that any member who contests the elections as an independent is to be sacked from the party. Ben Ephson served the notice on Thursday when he shook the airwaves with an exciting, albeit benumbing premiere of his Ephson’s Elections File, a one-hour political monologue on Joy FM. The programme airs every Thursday between 2pm and 3pm. A repeat is served at 12 midnight. The NPP on Thursday expelled a lawyer and leading member of the party, Mr. Kwaku Yamoah Paintsil for violating the party’s constitution. Mr. Paintsil had lost his bid for the party’s Mfantsiman West parliamentary primary to the incumbent and Minister of Information, Stephen Asamoah Boateng in May of this year but took the party to court to restrain Asamoah Boateng from contesting the 2008 parliamentary elections on the party’s ticket, alleging among other reasons that he holds a dual citizenship, and according to National Chairman, Peter Mac Manu, “When the national executive met and deliberated upon it, the decision that was taken is that he should be expelled from the party”. The party chairman further explained: “Under the party’s constitution no one should initiate any legal procedures against the party without first exhausting the party’s grievance procedures. So he has faulted at that. He is not protecting the unity of the party; he should abide by and publicly uphold the decisions of the party.” But Ben Epshon said rather than sticking with the hard line as dictated by the party constitution, Mr. Peter Mac Manu, would be begging the 16 to break their own rules. “The NPP will dare not sack these 16 leading members. It’s not because they are afraid of them, but it’s like if you play Monopoly and somebody has built a hotel, you want to go to prison to avoid falling in the hotel. “You see if these 16 members change their mind that they would not contest anymore, the NPP would beg them to contest to break their own rule. The reason is that out of the 39 seats in the Ashanti Region, 35 are so safe for the NPP that the acrimonies from the primaries mean that many of the affected activists will stay at home. They will not go and queue just to vote for Nana Addo. Now if these independent candidates are contesting, they may win or not win but they will go out there; ‘campaign for me the independent, campaign for Nana Addo’. Nana Addo and the NPP cannot afford to mess up votes in the Ashanti Region.” Throwing more light on his position, Ben Ephson said in the 2004 elections, President Kufuor had 74 per cent of votes and Professor Mills of the National Democratic Congress, 24 per cent, creating a gap of 50 percent. “If Nana Akufo-Addo even wins Ashanti this year by 40 per cent, the 10 percent decline in votes even at current figures will be in excess of 175,000. So you see why Mr. Peter Mac Manu, my good friend will be begging the 16 to break their own rules? They can’t sack them.” Ben Ephson also promised to reveal, in his next broadcast, tricks that cheats employ to sway elections in their favour, including why minors are made to register as voters in some consistencies. [Listen to the attached audio 5:01m] Story by Isaac Yeboah