Majority of Electoral College members want Dr Afriyie

Kumasi, Oct 29, GNA - One hundred and twenty-four out of the 153 members of the electoral college of the Sefwi-Wiawso constituency of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) have declared their support and endorsement of Dr Kwaku Afriyie, the Minister of Health, as the party's parliamentary candidate for the 2004 elections.

They said Dr Afriyie is an indispensable candidate and a pivot around which the other adjourning constituencies could record victory in the elections.

Addressing a press conference in Kumasi on Wednesday, Mr Frederick Tuffuor, a spokesman for the group, said their action followed the disruption of the primaries scheduled for October 24 by Mr Kwasi Blay, the other contestant.

Mr Tuffuor said all the delegates, who arrived at the voting centre at Sefwi-Wiawso for the elections were prevented from voting by thugs, Mr Blay and his supporters were alleged to have hired.

He said their belief that the thugs were hired by Mr Blay who stood as the NPP candidates in 1996 and 2000 and lost was borne out of the fact that they were dressed in T-shirts with Blay's effigy embossed on them.

"They heckled Dr Afriyie's team and scattered the electoral materials of the Electoral Commission.''

The spokesman said when all the delegates were invited to the official residence of the District Chief Executive by Mr Peter Mac Manu, the Western Regional Chairman of the NPP, they were told that Mr Blay had written a letter indicating that he was not prepared for the elections on that day.

Mr Tuffuor said not even the regional chairman could persuade him to withdraw the letter even though it was he (Mr Blay) who asked for the date to be pushed forward to October 24 from October 28, when it was rescheduled from the original date of October 5.

The spokesman said when Dr Afriyie suggested that he and Mr Blay hold hands as a sign of peace for their supporters to emulate to ensure a peaceful election, Mr Blay rejected this peace overture. Mr Tuffuor said Mr Blay's conduct could be construed as a withdrawal from the contest.