NPP fixes August 8 for Ayawaso-West-Wougon primaries

Accra, Aug 2, GNA - The ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) has fixed August 8, for the Ayawaso-West-Wougon Constituency primaries to select a parliamentary candidate for Election 2004. The Contestants are Mrs Akosua Frema Osei-Opare and International Development Consultant and former Lecturer at the nation's premier University and Mr George Isaac Amoo the incumbent Member of Parliament.

In an interview with the Ghana News Agency in Accra on Sunday the Constituency Chairman Mr Mike Omari Wudie, called for cooperation among all the contestants and their followers to maintain the unity of the party after the primaries.

On the recent protest by Mr Amoo over the compilation of the Constituency Album, Mr Wudie said regional executives had amicable resolved the issues. He condemned acts of intimidation, violence and harassment of the constituency executives, polling station officers and other leading party members in the area.

Mrs Osei-Opare urged politicians to understand the dimensions of multi-party democracy, saying: "We must all recognise that democracy is about choices and anybody wishing to represent the people must be prepared to listen to their voices." She said after three successive elections, politicians must discard the old order of politicking through the weapon of intimidation, as "Ghanaians are wide awake and conscious of democratic rights and would not allowed anyone to take them for a ride."

On her political aspirations, Mr Osei-Opare said she had a renewed capacity to lead, manage and direct the area's abundant resources towards development. She urged the members to develop a strong platform to harness efforts for a greater impact in this year's election, stressing, "My focus is beyond the primaries but to woo more voters into the Elephant Family for a resounding victory in December." Mrs Osei-Opare said the prevailing political environment offered a good opportunity for a woman to win the seat stressing: "We risk losing the seat if the constituent made the mistake of nominating a male candidate again."

A profile of Mrs Osei-Opare, 57, made available to the GNA indicated that she is currently a Development Consultant and Lecturer at the Home Science Department, University of Ghana, Legon. She served as Country Director of Action Aid, Ghana between 1998 and 2003 and a Senior Programme Coordinator of the Netherlands Development Organisation, Ghana, between 1996 and 1998. Other positions the aspiring MP held were: Consultant, Alternative Income Generation FAO/UNDP Programme Mission for the 5th Country Programme for Malawi and Consultant - Women in Fisheries: FAO/UN Projects.