The National Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr Peter Mac Manu, has dismissed concerns that the contest for the NPP flag-bearer position for Election 2012 will polarise the party. He said the NPP constitution encouraged internal party democracy and so there was the need to give people the liberty to express themselves, pointing out that the party would only intervene when the contest degenerated into factionalism and violence, which the constitution frowned upon as a serious misconduct. Mr Mac Manu expressed optimism that whatever wrangling that was existing within the party would abate after the party had e1ected its flag-bearer at its congress in due course. "It's only a matter of time," he told the Daily Graphic on Monday in response to concerns that some recent developments within the party might undermine its unity and fortunes in Election 2012. After the defeat of the NPP in the 2008 election, the pre-election rivalry between supporters of Nana Akufo-Addo and Alan Kyerematen was revived, intensifying as the party draws closer to electing a new flag-bearer for the 2012 election. Political watchers have cautioned that if the NPP is unable to deal with what they consider to be the Akufo-Addo - Alan Kyerematen factions, the party might suffer some cracks and its dream of re-capturing power in 2012 might become an illusion. "Those are the doomsday prophets," Mr Mac Manu described such observers. "It's only a matter of time. When congress is held, all these will end." Mr Mac Manu said there was the need to give people the liberty to express themselves in a civil manner without rancour and bitterness. He said there was nothing wrong with people declaring their intention to contest for the position of flag bearer of the party, albeit unofficial, adding that such declarations were only an exercise for the aspirants to test their popularity on the ground before going into the actual contest. He said after congress had elected a flag bearer for the 2012 election, every party member had a responsibility to abide by the decision of congress and rally behind that candidate to ensure victory. The NPP has fixed February 27, 2010 for its national delegates conference at the Liberty Sports Stadium at Dansoman in Accra, after three previous postponements from December 19,2009, January 29, 2010 and February 6, 2010. According to the NPP chairman, the campaign by the candidates contesting for the various national executive positions had been well organised. He, therefore, commended the candidates for acquitting themselves well. Commenting on the stalemate of the Ashanti Regional delegates conference, he said out of 39 constituencies in the region, there were only three of them yet to hold their constituency congresses. He said considering the fact that the party's constitution required one third of the constituencies to form a quorum for the organisation of regional congress, it was magnanimous on the part of the National Council to reschedule the date for the conference so as to allow as many delegates as possible to participate. A court action filed by the Chairman of the Asante Akim North constituency, Nana Adu Asabere, at the Kumasi High Court seeking to restrain the regional and national executives of the party from holding the Ashanti Regional delegates conference, has been adjourned to January 27, 2010. Mr Mac Manu expressed confidence that at the adjourned date, lawyers of the party would be able to convince the court to dismiss the case in tandem with the party's constitution regarding the formation of quorum for the organisation of regional delegates’ conference. Source: Daily Graphic.