NPP ELECTS CANDIDATES FOR 2 CONSTITUENCIES (PAGE 14)

Story: Kwame Asare Boadu, Kumasi

THE New Patriotic Party (NPP) has picked its first two parliamentary candidates in the Ashanti Region for the 2008 general election.
The District Chief Executive (DCE) for Ejura-Sekyedumase, Dr Joshua Ayarkwa, is the parliamentary candidate for the area, while Mr DeGraft Kyei-Baffour, a teacher, is the parliamentary candidate for New Edubiase.
Dr Ayarkwa was elected unopposed, while Mr Kyei-Baffour defeated the DCE for New Edubiase, Mr Francis Dorkpenyo, at the constituency primary.
The two constituencies are currently represented in Parliament by National Democratic Congress (NDC) Members of Parliament (MPs).
The NPP is yet to elect a candidate for the third orphaned constituency in the Ashanti Region, Asawase, which is also occupied by an NDC MP.
The Ashanti Regional Secretary of the NPP, Mr Sam Cudjoe, told the Daily Graphic that a party member had gone to court over the Asawase primary and that until the court had decided on the matter, the party could not organise a primary there.
He, however, said two candidates were in the race for the Asawase slot. They were the DCE for Kwabre, Alhaji Kwasi Yeboah, and one Alhaji Dr Bala.
On the chances of the party in the three orphaned constituencies, Mr Cudjoe said the NPP had identified the problems that led to its defeat there and was working feverishly to outdo the NDC in the elections.
He said in a war, one needed to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the opponent in order to overpower him, explaining that that was exactly what the NPP was doing.
Mr Cudjoe indicated that defeating the NDC in the three constituencies did not rest on only the party executives but the rank and file of the party as well.
The regional secretary said the dates for the primaries in constituencies already occupied by NPP MPs were yet to be decided.