NPP to win 80% of parliamentary seats in Greater Accra - NPP

Accra, Sept. 6, GNA - The Greater Regional Secretariat of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) on Thursday said it had identified its operation shortfall during Elections 2004 that led to the loss of strategic seats to the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and had adopted measures to win 80 per cent of seats in the region.

"We have adopted a modern political party organization strategy aimed at propelling the party to retain our seats and win back all other seats we lost marginally to our opponents," Mr, Alex Quartey, Deputy Regional Secretary, told the Ghana News Agency in Accra in an interview. "The strategy, among other things, would empower and increase our impact in seven constituencies we lost marginally during Elections 2004 - Odododiodioo, Ayawaso East, Ashaiman, Sege, Abokobi Madina, Dade Kotopon and Kpone Katamanso, while we consolidate operational impact in other four constituencies we won with marginal votes - Krowa, Ablekuma Central, Adenta and Ledzokuku."

Mr Quartey said the third phase of the "Capture 80 Percent Seats," strategy would focus on consolidating and reinforcing the party machinery in the 16 constituencies they won by ensuring that the party structures were empowered financially.

He said the region had completed conducting primaries in all but two orphan constituencies in the region - Odododiodioo and Shai Osudoku. The primaries at Odododiodioo would be held on Sunday, September 9. Meanwhile, Mr Quartey said, the region was not perturbed by door-to-door campaign of NDC flag bearer, Professor John Evans Atta Mills.

"We consider it an outmoded electoral strategy which would have no significance on the fortune of NPP," he said, adding that the NPP would soon outdoor a new strategy "to counter this old system".