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The Chairman of the committee vetting flagbearer aspirants of the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC), Alhaji Issifu Ali, says the committee would demand commitments from the aspirants that whoever loses the contest would support the other and not seek to break away from the party. He said maintaining unity in the party is paramount and any member who appears before the committee would be asked to marshal his/her followers to support the winner to ensure that unity in the party is maintained. The NDC will elect a presidential candidate for the 2012 general election at a National Delegates Congress slated for July 8-10, 2011 at Sunyani. Incumbent President John Atta Mills and former first lady Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings have both submitted their forms and paid the necessary filing fee. A former Vice Chairman of the party, Dr Ekwow Spio Garbrah, failed to submit his forms when the deadline expired on June 1. �We tried as much as possible to drive from the point that whichever candidate wins in Sunyani would not try to go solo but would marshal his or her forces behind the winner to make sure that unity in the party is maintained� Alhaji Ali told Citi FM reporter Richard Mensah moments after the committee completed the first day of vetting on Tuesday June 7, with the vetting of Mrs Rawlings. President Mills will meet the committee on Wednesday June 8. The Former First Lady answered questions bordering on her suitability and preparedness to lead the party into the 2012 general elections. He added that the committee was worried about the amount of mudslinging and insults being traded between the supporters of the two candidates. According to Alhaji Issifu Ali, the committee will also drum home to the two contestants the need to ensure that their actions do not split the party after the primaries. �The former first lady was receptive to what we put forward and added that FONKAR which campaigns for her had not been involved in mudslinging and hoped that the other side (Mills� camp) would also stop the mudslinging�. Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings described the vetting process as �smooth but rather took too long� when she addressed the press briefly after the vetting process ended.