Tamale, Aug. 21, GNA- Alhaji Mustapha Ali Idris, Northern Regional Minister, on Saturday cautioned members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) against rushing to the media in trying to settle their differences.
He said by "washing our dirty linen in public, the NPP may inadvertently win the elections for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) by shooting ourselves in the foot."
Alhaji Idris was addressing a day's workshop for the regional and constituency executives of the NPP in Tamale.
The workshop, which was under the theme: "Consolidating Our Gains," was to initiate effective plans to enable the NPP to retain power in the 2008 General Elections.
Alhaji Idris said the issues that united the NPP were greater than those that divided party, and urged all supporters to learn how to "agree to disagree."
He noted that the party was finding it difficult to win parliamentary seats in the region and urged the national executives to work harder to reverse the trend.
Alhaji Idris said NPP's fortunes in the region would improve in view of the numerous development projects that the Government had undertaken there.
He also observed that another impediment of the NPP in the region and Dagbon area in particular, was the Yendi Chieftaincy crisis. Alhaji Idris appealed to all factions to find amicable solution to the dispute to revive the stalled road map to peace.
Mr. Peter Mac Manu, national chairman of the NPP, said the party had the greatest stake in ensuring that the country's infant democracy was protected and consolidated and could not afford to lose the 2008 General Elections.
He said the dream of Ghana becoming a middle-income country by 2015 was being assured under the NPP Government. Mr. Mac Manu said the Government had already laid the necessary infrastructure for the economic take off towards the achievement of the vision.
He said the chances of the NPP in the region continued to improve since the 1996 General Elections.
Mr. Mac Manu said in that polls, the NPP won only three parliamentary seats in the region but the number increased to eight in th 2004 Elections and predicted that the party would sweep 16 seats in the 2008 Elections.
He said the claim by the NDC that it was a social democratic party was only a sham to deceive the people since its revolutionary antecedents from "PNDC/NDC to socialist NDC," had clearly portrayed it as a violent and undemocratic party.
The NPP National Chairman reiterated the need for party members to solve their problems amicably through the party structures and not to use the media to achieve that purpose, saying, "using the media to settle our differences will portray a bad image of the party."
Nana Ohene Ntow, NPP General Secretary, called on the party's foot soldiers and supporters to continuously trumpet the achievements of the Government to let the electorate know about the good works of the party.
He said the implementation of the National Health Insurance Scheme, the Capitation Grant, the School Feeding Programme and the construction of roads through out the country were some of the laudable achievements of the Government.
He said the NPP was confronted with an opponent that had nothing good to offer, but only believed in telling lies and urged the NPP foot soldiers to embark on a "Campaign of truth and facts."
Mrs. Agnes Okudzeto, first national vice chairperson and Lord Commey, national organiser, also national executives of the party, attended the workshop.
