<<Print>>

The National Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr Paul Awentami Afoko, has congratulated the newly elected national executive of the ruling National Democratic Congress(NDC). He has, however, challenged them to commit themselves to an issues-based campaign devoid of insults and mudslinging as the country approaches the 2016 Election. In an exclusive interview with the Daily Graphic, Mr Afoko advised supporters and members of the NPP to stay focused and united since the NPP�s �strategy for the 2016 Election is versatile enough to take care of the new faces at the helm of affairs of the NDC.� At dawn yesterday, about 3,500 delegates of the NDC elected a mixture of old and new executive members led by Dr Kofi Portuphy as National Chairman, to steer the affairs of the NDC for the next four years. Mr Johnson Aseidu Nketia got his mandate as General Secretary renewed, whilst Mr Kofi Adams swept aside Yaw Boateng Gyan as National Organiser. Speaking on a broad range of issues, including the outcome of the NDC national delegates congress and the forthcoming NPP parliamentary primaries, Mr Afoko challenged party members, supporters and sympathisers to commit themselves to making 2015 an action year that will lead to election victory in 2016. He reminded the NPP to bear in mind that political success was not founded on bitter divisions, unhealthy and vituperative criticisms and the violent expression of dissent. Rather, he posited that the NPP�s ability to win power would depend on an effective political strategy that brings all on board as one faction against their political opponents. He maintained that the NPP would win the 2016 Election, but first pointed out that �we will have to work hard to make that happen and that is why we all have to commit ourselves to making 2015 an action year.� According to Mr Afoko, the task the NPP had was to win election 2016. That was not an impossible one, he said, adding, �our quest for unity should not consign us into a state of blind subservience. As we strive for power, we should be prepared to rigorously and effectively engage on how we can better prosecute our campaign activities and reclaim power in 2016.� In the view of the NPP National Chairman, while it was good for the NPP to agree on all issues all the time, he reminded party members that �by our very nature as human beings and with our party�s tradition of assertiveness, democracy and freedom, we can always bet that we will have disagreements.� That in itself is not evil, Mr Afoko insisted, and pointed out that �to allow disagreements to bitterly tear us apart will amount to throwing ourselves into political doldrums. In Election 2016, the most important weapon we should marshal against our political opponents is unity.� He recalled that this year, the NPP elected a new national executive and a flag bearer for the 2016 presidential election and while naturally, the competition had been keen, it was now time to build bridges of unity and present a formidable campaign team to reclaim power in 2016. Parliamentary polls On the party�s parliamentary polls, he said the NPP would open nominations for parliamentary primaries very soon. �If history is to serve as a guide, then we should be bracing up for some potentially challenging moments. Yet, we can still negotiate this curve with better finesse than we have ever done�, he stated. �I wish to urge all to remain calm and put the party�s interest first; we are one big family and we have one common goal,� he added.