NPP Backyard Boils

* Over 2008 presidential scramble As Odoi Sykes, Lord Commey call for ceasefire

Mr Samuel Odoi-Sykes, former National Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), says the number of names that have popped up for the ruling party's flagbearership race for the 2008 elections is an embarrassment to the party.

The former Ghanaian Ambassador to Canada, who is also a member of his party's National Council, has therefore called for the amendment of the party's constitution to forestall such an occurrence in the future.

Describing the number as too many, Mr Odoi-Sykes intimated that the party has tasked a committee to talk to the aspirants to "try and save the party from this embarrassment", stressing that "this is the first time such a thing has happened".

Speaking on Peace FM?s morning show programme, ?Kokrokoo?, Mr Odoi-Sykes suggested that a constitutional amendment could task a special council to shortlist interested candidates and manage the whole process.

?I feel sad when I see what is happening?, he bemoaned, saying that in the past, people were virtually begged and sometimes financed before they pick up nomination forms of the NPP, wondering what has changed so soon with the same people now scrambling for any available seat within the NPP.

He attributed the new phenomenon to the fact that the ruling party has not handed power to any government before and want to hand over power to itself.

He warned the ?we are not going to sit aside and allow the values of the NPP to be trampled upon? since that is what the forefathers of the party fought for, adding that ?we believe in fairness, justice and fortitude?

He said there are complaints about the way the whole contest is being planned and that the fierce animosity, which has started to generate among supporters of the various aspirants have attracted the concern of the elders who are hoping that the trend is immediately reversed.

He cautioned that unless the ruling party works to restore the enthusiasm and confidence of its teaming supporters, the NPP would find it difficult to retain political power in the 2008 elections.

?We as a party have not been able to manage the symbiotic relation between party and government?, he insisted, maintaining that he shares the sentiments of the many supporters who are complaining.

Meanwhile, the National Organiser of the NPP, Mr Lord Commey, says the leadership of the party is on top of the situation and that very soon the party would come out with a code of conduct to regulate the activities of the aspirants.

To him, it was too soon to conclude that recent attacks on the integrity of some of the aspirants were coming from the party, pointing out that it was possible for people who are interested in destabilizing the unity of the party to embark on such business.

?There is no complaint that has been raised so far by any of the aspirants?, he noted, adding that the concerns are being raised by all Ghanaians, showing the level of popularity of the NPP.

On the sentiments of the party?s foot soldiers, Mr Commey said ?what the party failed to do was how to manage people?s expectations? when they won power and that as human beings these things are bound to occur.

He intimated that a lot of things are happening in terms of addressing the concerns of the party, stressing that the passion, the drive and the will of the party?s supporters is still alive.

Meanwhile, at a press conference on Wednesday, the party?s National Chairman, Mr. Peter Mac Manu, assured that the NPP would not split before or after its national delegates? congress in December.

According to him, notwithstanding many people?s expectations the NPP would remain united after the election of the party?s flagbearer at the December congress.

?There are those who have claimed a split in the NPP. Back in 1992, the same was said of the party and Mr da Rocha, then Interim Chairman said at the time: ?People tend to recall the split which occurred in the Progress Party?s front in 1979 which resulted in the formation of the PFP and the UNC. That kind of split has not happened now and will never happen?, he said.

He said ?I want to re-echo Mr. da Rocha; That that kind of split will never happen again within the Danquah/Busia tradition?.

He added that a party like the NPP is capable of accommodating differences of opinion and maintaining the unity and cohesiveness of the party as an institution.

Is his view, the consensus that carried the NPP through the 1992 elections ensured that whoever won the nomination had the full weight of the party behind him.

He, however, cautioned all the would-be aspirants testing their popularity with party members around the country to observe strict decorum in their language and behaviour, since this is an internal contest and should not be allowed to get out of hand.