Chronicle -- The Minister for Mines, Mrs. Cecilia Bannerman, has called on the electorate in the Odododiodoo constituency to renew the mandate of President Kufuor, and Reginald Niibi Ayibonte, the NPP MP of the area to enable them continue the programme of accelerated infrastructural development in the country.

Mrs. Bannerman who was addressing a rally at Odododiodio said ?Prez. Kufuor was not tribalistic as was being peddled by his opponents.?

She also said with the able leadership of President John Agyekum Kufuor, Ghana has attracted support from the international community, making it possible for the country?s huge debt to be cancelled.

Mrs. Bannerman was addressing a mammoth rally in Accra yesterday, organized by the parliamentary candidate for the Odododiodoo constituency, Ayibonte.

Enthusiastically praising President Kufuor for not using partisan basis in the distribution of development projects in the country, she said the decision to join the Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative was a giant step in reducing the country?s debt, which step had now brought relief to the country.

She said food had been in abundance from January, compared to previous years when inflation dominated the country?s economy.

?The NDC supporters are only criticizing the Kufuor Administration because he has performed creditably,? she said.

She called on the electorate to vote massively for Kufuor and Ayibonte, adding that, voting for the opposition candidate would not help the President implement effectively his plans for developing the country.

The launch of the Development Fund for Women, which took place in Accra, benefited the women in Gt. Accra who were the first batch to access the loan, she pointed out, saying, it was not sent to Kufuor?s hometown or region.

The minister said women had now been given a say in the running of the country, with the creation of the Women and Children Ministry.

The rally was nearly marred by a fracas when the NDC youth in the area, who were lurking around, began throwing stones which wounded some women of the Women?s Wing who resided in the MP?s family house nearby.

In his address, Ayibonte entreated the electorate to vote for him in the forth-coming December election and promised his opponents that, he would campaign decently by not mounting any platform to insult, but rather focusing more on his educational plan that had seen most children in the area benefiting from his educational fund.

He urged all his supporters to come out in their numbers to cast their vote massively for him and Kufuor and advised the Akan community to be wary of the people who would try soliciting their votes, urging them not to make the mistake of voting for ?Sankofa.?