Foreign Minister loses parliamentary primaries

Ejusi (Ash), June 14, GNA - Mr. Akwasi Osei Agyei, Ghana's Foreign Minister and the incumbent MP for the Ejisu-Juaben constituency on Saturday lost his bid to retain the seat on the ticket of the New Patriotic Party.

Mr. Kwabena Owusu Aduomi, Ashanti Regional Director of the Ghana Highways Authority was elected as the NPP parliamentary candidate at the party's constituency primaries held at Akyawkrom near Ejisu, polling 95 out of 162 total votes cast to beat the sitting MP.

Mr. Osei Agyei had 67 votes, while Mr Oliver Boakye, another contender had zero in an election supervised by the Electoral Commission. Preparations to the elections had been characterized by acrimony, accusations and counter accusations and alleged vote buying manoeuvres by the supporters of Mr. Osei Agyei and Mr. Owusu Aduomi and this had created sharp division in the party in the constituency.

The holding of the primaries itself had been postponed several times as a result of alleged arm twisting and purported support for a particular candidate by the regional and national executive members of the party.

The tension-packed election was however, held without any incident. Mr. Owusu Aduomi in an acceptance speech thanked the delegates for the confidence reposed in him.

He called for internal unity in the party to ensure that the seat was retained for the party. Mr. Osei Agyei and Mr. Oliver Boakye pledged their support to the winner to ensure total victory for the party.

Mr. Robert Yaw Amankwa Ashanti Regional Chairman of the party appealed to the media to show professionalism in the discharge of their duties in order not to create unnecessary tension and disturbances in the run-up to the 2008 general elections.