General News of Friday, 17 March 2006

Source: --

NPP throws in the towel ...

... Opts out Tamale Central bye-election
Regional and National Executives of the ruling New Patriotic Party have after a marathon meeting in Tamale decided not to contest the Tamale Central bye election scheduled for April 4.

This dashes the hopes of five candidates who were seeking the party?s mandate to become the Member of Parliament for Tamale Central constituency.
The National organizer of the NPP, Lord Commey told Joy News that the decision was taken to preserve peace in the area bearing in mind the volatility of Tamale.

?We are a party in power, we have 128 majority in Parliament, that we are comfortable with. It is incumbent on us as a ruling party to not do anything to disturb the peace in Tamale Central and in Dagbon as a whole; the party will not contest this bye-election.
We believe that the battle interest of the NPP goes beyond Tamale Central, it is important that we look at the general interest of the people of Dagbon in particular and that is precisely what had informed this decision,? he said.
It is speculated that the action is to pave way and improve Professor Wayo Seini?s chances at the April 4 bye-election.
Professor Seini whose defection from the NDC triggered the bye-election, has declared his intention to stand as an independent candidate.
Prof Wayo Seini had earlier wanted to run on the ticket of the ruling NPP.