General News of Wednesday, 9 April 2008
Source: GNA
Mankessim (C/R), April 9, GNA - A group of supporters of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) on Monday embarked on a peaceful protest march to the offices of the party at Mankessim.
The march was to register their displeasure against "skirmish propaganda" by some of the Mfantseman West Constituency executives of the party to unseat Mr Stephen Asamoah-Boateng, the Member of Parliament, for the area.
The protesters, led by Madam Adjoa Nkrumah, Okyeam Budu, Polling Station Women's Organiser and Madam Adagyer-Yena, the leader of Mankessim Market Second Hand Cloth Dealers' Association, threatened to vote "Skirt and blouse" in December general elections.
This means they would vote for NPP in the presidential election and vote for a parliamentary candidate of another party if Mr Asamoah-Boateng, who is also the Minister of Tourism and Diaspora Relations, does not get the nod.
"Our fear is that we may lose the seat to our opponents if we do not field Mr Asamoah-Boateng. He has achieved a lot not only for his constituency but also for the Mfantseman Municipality as whole and we feel the only gratitude that we can show is to return him to Parliament for the second time", Madam Nkrumah said.
They condemned activities of some of the executives who, for personal interests, were frustrating the MP in his attempts to meet polling station executives who would form the Electoral College for the primaries.
The protesters said they were not against other people contesting the primary but the MP should be given fair treatment on account of what he had achieved for the area.
Mr Felix Nyarko Antwi, Constituency Vice Chairman who met the protesters, said everything possible would be done to address their concerns.