Atibie(ER), May 18, GNA - Mr Seth Kwame Acheampong 37, a Civil Engineer, was on Saturday elected NPP Parliamentary Candidate for Mpraeso Constituency in the Eastern Region.

At the primaries held at Atibie, Mr Acheampong polled 37 votes as against 31 by Ms Susana Mensah, Former Deputy Eastern Regional Minister and 16 votes by Mr Kwadwo Afram-Asiedu, Eastern Regional Minister.

Nana Onwona Asante, Kwahu South District Chief Executive polled 10 votes and Ms Grace Ataffuah, immediate past Eastern Regional Women's Organizer of NPP had two votes.

All the four losing candidates pledged their support to Mr Acheampong to retain the seat which has been occupied by the Party since 1996.

The election was supervised by officials from Kwahu South District Electoral Office.

Mr Acheampong expressed appreciation to the delegates for the confidence reposed in him and pledged to work hard to retain the seat for the Party on December 7. He said with his election, it was necessary for activists, supporters and sympathisers of the Party to unite to defeat their opponents in the Presidential and Parliamentary elections. Mr Yaw Gyekye Amoabeng, Eastern Regional Chairman of the Party, said it was obvious that NPP would retain power and win additional parliamentary seats to its 22 seats in the Region.

He urged supporters of the candidates to unite and fight for a common goal by winning the seat for the fourth time and also increase the presidential votes.

In a related development, Ms Esther Obeng Dapaah, incumbent Member of Parliament for Abirem Constituency and Minister for Lands, Forestry and Mines retained her seat.

She polled 41 votes to defeat two other candidates, Mr Emmanuel Osei Frimpong who had 24 votes and Mr Samuel Dwamena who had four votes in the constituency primaries held on Saturday.