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The General Secretary of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr Johnson Aseidu Nketiah, has asked delegates to the various elections within the party, especially at the regional level, not to change those who have maximised the votes of the party. According to him, party executives must be judged according to how they increased the fortunes of the party and that the delegates, when voting, must bear in mind the fact that "there is change for the better and change for the worse". Mr Aseidu Nketiah, who was addressing delegates to the Ashanti Regional NDC elections in Kumasi, said those advocating change at various strata of the party hierarchy must consider whether their call would enure to the benefit of the party or not. Using the analogy of plucking mangoes from a tree, he said there was a man who plucked 10 mangoes but later saw one big mango on a higher branch. He asked himself whether to risk and climb the higher branch and pluck the 11th mango which could result in his fall and consequent loss of the already plucked 10 mangoes or jealously guide the 10. Votes in Ashanti Region He said the party, after some time, realised that its votes in the region had been reducing since 1992 till 2004 and therefore decided in 2007 to strategise to stem the dwindling votes and rather increase them. Realising that without the Ashanti votes the NDC could not win presidential elections, the general secretary said the party took a decision to scrutinise the work of elected executives in the region, as well as those who would vie for parliamentary seats in the name of the party. He explained that the decision was that those who would maximise the party's votes at any level under their care would be considered for their contribution during appointments when the party was in power. This policy, Mr Aseidu Nketiah said, yielded positive results and started increasing the party�s votes in the region and urged the delegates to be guided by that policy. It moved the party�s votes in the region from 21 per cent in 2004 to 25 per cent in 2008, as well as 28 per cent in 2012. He charged those who would be elected to ensure that they increased the votes to 30 per cent, adding that the Ashanti Region was not the preserve of NPP. Party finances Mr Aseidu Nketiah said in the last two years, the party had suffered a little setback with regards to its finances and due to that, it had not been able to remit the regions and the constituencies as it used to do. He,therefore, appealed to those who lost their constituency elections because they were accused of squandering funds to forgive him.He assured the party members that they would soon receive their resources. The Head of the Ashanti Regional Vetting and Elections Committee, Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, urged delegates and aspirants to continue to comport themselves, adding that the party had been fair, transparent and sincere in all its dealings with the aspirants. - See more at: http://graphic.com.gh/news/politics/33629-elect-aspirants-who-would-maximise-votes-for-ndc.html#sthash.OQayJGEB.dpuf