National Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr. Peter Mac Manu has asked party faithful to blame some parliamentary hopefuls for the pockets of conflict in the party. The ruling party’s primaries to elect parliamentary candidates for the December 7 parliamentary poll in many constituencies were marred by disagreements which at certain times degenerated into conflicts yet to be resolved by the party’s hierarchy. The National Chairman argued that the much-talked about conflicts the party is currently experiencing in some constituencies were the consequential effect of the failure on the part of some parliamentary aspirants to tell their uninformed supporters the truth about their status. “Some parliamentary hopefuls who for one reason or the other were legitimately disqualified from contesting the party’s primary in certain constituencies against the backdrop of cheap sympathy failed to tell the truth of their disqualification to their unaware supporters.” According to him, these innocent supporters who because of misinformation and misrepresentation thought that their icons had been cheated and treated unfairly, spontaneously jumped into series of untoward activities which led to violence in some constituencies. The National Chairman contended strongly that none of the disqualified aspirants was given a raw deal by the party as being erroneously painted in the media by some failed hopefuls. Mr. Mac Manu noted that the party had to take the difficult decision of disqualifying some parliamentary aspirants because they woefully failed to satisfy the 20-point set of rules issued by the party ahead of the primaries as qualification criteria. He stated in addition that some hopefuls had their parliamentary ambitions dashed because they failed to impress the interview panel which included constituency, regional and national executives set up by the party to interview prospective candidates. The Millennium Chairman, as he is affectionately called, disclosed that several hopefuls had their applications turned down because they were caught lying about their citizenship status. Addressing a press conference in Kumasi on Monday, Mr. Mac Manu noted that the party chose not to publish reasons assigned for disqualifying a candidate because the party did not want to embarrass any disqualified aspirant. He indicated that it was absolutely wrong and most importantly unjustifiable for failed aspirants to accuse him of being behind their disqualifications when they knew perfectly that they were the cause of their own woes. The National Chairman, who was flanked by Mr. Lord Commey, National Organizer; Hon Emmanuel Owusu Ansah, Ashanti Regional Minister; Hon Albert Kan Dapaah, Minister of Defence and some regional party executives, announced that in spite of the flash points in some constituencies, the party had chalked another feat by being the first political party in the country this year to elect 223 parliamentarians out of the total 230, which represents 96.95 percent. He assured party faithful that the party was doing everything possible to resolve differences particularly in the seven trouble-stricken constituencies to ensure that parliamentary candidates were elected for those constituencies by the middle of August this year. The spirited chairman who underscored that never again will the nation move backwards, entreated young men and women who have attained age 18 to register massively when the registration of voters opens on Thursday July 31, so that they could vote for the ruling party to continue its good works. Commenting on the party’s 16th anniversary celebration, Mr. Mac Manu paid glowing tribute to all those who contributed in diverse ways to making the NPP a dynamic, efficient and highly respected political party not only in Ghana but also the whole of Africa. “I say a big ‘thank you’ and Ayeekoo to our founding members in all the districts who in 1992 acted bravely against the threat and intimidations from the Provisional/National Democratic Congress (P/NDC) to sign the registration documents at the Electoral Commission (EC) which gave birth to the NPP,” he stressed. He paid special tribute to Mr Yaw Attakora Gyimah, a veteran freedom fighter and a columnist, for his courage to institute the Danquah/Busia Memorial Club in Kumasi which led to the formation of an Interim National Coordinating Committee under the able chairmanship of Mr B.J. Da Rocha. That committee was tasked to put on the ground the nucleus of a political organization in anticipation of the lifting of the ban on party political activities in 1992. He said though the party went through hard times which made people thought that winning power was an impossible thing, through resilience, commitment and hard work of members, the party finally won power in the 2000 elections. Mr. Mac Manu, who firmly argued that the achievements of the NPP surpassed any other government in the history of the country, said the party would hold on to power for a very long time because it is the party chosen by God to send the country to the Promised Land. He therefore entreated supporters of the party to use the occasion of the party’s 16th birthday celebration to close their ranks and remain resolute behind the party to enable it conceal victory on December 7. Source: Daily Guide