Akosombo (E/R), Sept. 1, GNA - Mr Kofi Osei-Ameyaw, 43, Ghana's Consular-General for Australia, was on Sunday elected the parliamentary candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) for the Asuogyaman constituency for the 2004 Elections at a special constituency congress held at Akosombo.

Mr Osei-Ameyaw polled 72 votes to beat the District Chief Executive of Asuogyaman and former NPP parliamentary candidate for the constituency for the year 2000, Dr Godfried Kofi Siaw, who polled 37 votes.

Earlier two other contestants, Mr Thompson Kumi and Mr Emmanuel Wellington Ntow-Bediako stepped down in favour of Mr Osei-Ameyaw. Mr Osei-Ameyaw said his victory was for the NPP and thanked Dr Siaw and the constituency executive members of the party for the efforts they put in to build the party.

He urged party members to bury the differences that came up prior to the special constituency congress and to unite to ensure that the party wins the constituency elections in 2004.

Dr Siaw said the strategy towards the 2004 elections should focus on the NPP and not individuals. He, therefore, called on members of the party to join hands to ensure that the party wins the constituency seat come next year.

He donated an NPP flag to each of the party's 108 polling stations in the constituency to signify the beginning of the campaign towards next year's elections.

Addressing the delegates, Mr Dan Botwe, NPP General Secretary, said the Asuogyaman constituency was one of the 140 Parliamentary seats that the NPP had planned to win at the 2004 elections and pledged that the party would do all that it takes to take the seat from the National Democratic Congress (NDC).

Mr Botwe warned that in its bid to win the constituency, the NPP would "crush anybody who would stand in its way whether within the party or outside the party".

Dr Francis Osafo-Mensah, Eastern Regional Minister, called for unity among all factions within the party in the constituency and urged them to make efforts to win over functionaries of other political parties. 01 Sep. 03