Defeated candidates urged not to abandon constituents

Saltpond (C/R), Oct 31, GNA - Unsuccessful candidates in the 2004 General Elections have been urged not to abandon their constituents. The appeal was made by a leading member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mrs Sattie Ocran, at the delegates' conference of the Mfansteman West Constituency branch of the party at Saltpond.

She noted that such attitude often contributed to the disintegration of parties, as the supporters felt neglected.

Mrs Ocran appealed to members and supporters of the NDC to contribute to phone-in programmes of radio and television stations to counteract some of the misinformation being peddled against the party and its leading members.

"Since silence means consent our inability to react to the allegations can be misconstrued as admittance of guilt," she stated. Mr Patrick Aniagyei, Central Regional Organiser of the party, said the NDC was greater than any individual member and urged the supporters and members of the party to place its welfare above their personal interest.

He said the defeat of the party in the last two elections had made Ghanaians to see the difference between the policies of the NDC and the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

Mr Aniagyei appealed to the members of the NDC to bury their differences and to unite to regain power in the 2008 General Elections to save Ghanaians from the hardship they were going through. Seven of the old executive members were retained unopposed. They were Mr Stephen Edward Moore, Chairman, Felix Raphael Quansah, Organiser, Osofo Kwame Appiah, Assistant Organiser, Alex Beechem, Deputy Secretary, Mary Annan, Assistant Treasurer, Remus Kofi Zoryiku, Propaganda Secretary and Nasiru Ahmed Bin Adams, Assistant Propaganda Secretary.

The other officers elected were Nana Kwame Ebiyatakyi, Secretary, Mohammed Fuseini, Vice Chairman, Ben Abdallah, Treasurer, Emmanuel Yalley, Youth Organiser and Sarah Ocran, Women's Organiser. Officials of the Electoral Commission supervised the election. Mr Moore urged the delegates to regard themselves as executive members and to help raise the image of the party.

He advised members of the party to abstain from attitudes, which could scare people from joining the NDC and said they should be role models to win more people into the party.

Mr Jojo Bruce Quansah the candidate in the last General Elections cautioned the executive officers to be active in their campaign and said they should advertise the party in the area to ensure victory in the 2008 General Elections.