Politics of Tuesday, 22 October 2013

Source: Joyonline

I am partisan for the party -Yaw Buaben Asamoah

Yaw Buaben Asamoah believes he is the ideal candidate for the post of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) General Secretary because he could effectively negotiate with any faction within the party.

According to him, harnessing all sides into a formidable force for victory in 2016 through effective negotiation was a much needed requirement for the right candidate.

Having worked with the Nana Akufo-Addo and Alan Kwadwo Kyeremanten factions within the party without quarrelling with anybody, Mr. Buaben Asamoah believes he is best placed to put the interest of the party above any other factional interest.

The main opposition party is preparing for a congress slated for March 2014 to elect its national officers. The position of party General Secretary could see the incumbent Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie battling with former Press Secretary Kwabena Agyapong, former Presidential aspirant Capt. (Rtd) Nkrabea Effah-Dartey and the party's former Deputy Director of Communications, Yaw Buaben Asamoah.

Analyzing his chances on Metro TV's Good Morning Ghana, Yaw Buaben Asamoah said party executives who are seen as attached to rival factions tend not to be vigilant or committed when their preferred candidate fails to win a party primary to contest either for parliamentary or presidential elections.

Coming to this realisation, the former deputy director of communications says the party was now "verging towards the center" to elect factionless candidates, who are more likely to put the interest of the party above other personal interests.

He therefore predicted that the search will end up getting him elected as the Party's General Secretary.

"I am partisan for the party...and happily I am already at the center", he said, noting that he lost the previous contest for the same position because he was seen as unattached to any party.

Additionally, Mr. Buaben Asamoah pointed out that certain perceptions in the party indicated that he was working for Nana Akufo-Addo, the 2012 presidential candidate while others think he could be a pawn for Alan Kyeremanten, who lost to Nana Akufo Addo during their last Presidential Primaries.

This, he noted only goes to emphasise that he was not working for anybody and, therefore, the man to beat come March 2014.