Gomoa Ankamu (C/R), Jan. 16, GNA - The first Central Regional Vice Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr. Danquah Smith has urged members and supporters of the party not to take the campaign in the run-up to the 2004 general elections lightly.

Addressing a fund raising harvest organised by Gomoa West Constituency of the Party at Gomoa Ankamu, Mr. Smith cautioned them against complacency, adding that no one should think that the elections would be won on a silver platter.

He exhorted members and supporters to concentrate their campaign messages on issues, especially the numerous projects that were springing up all over the country to convince the people to offer them their votes, cautioning them against the use of abusive language and casting insinuations at opponents.

Mr. Smith said the party was organizing fund raising activities to prove to Ghanaians that it would not use national resources to run its activities.

Miss Joyce Aidoo, District Chief Executive for Gomoa catalogued a number of developed projects executed in the district for the past three years and appealed to the people to rally behind the government. She advised persons who had attained 18 years and above to register when the voters' register opened to enable them to vote massively.

Mr. Ben Afful, constituency chairman, called for early conduct of primaries in the area to avoid tension and to enhance early take-off of the campaign.

Four members, including the DCE, were contesting the primaries. Two National Democratic Congress (NDC) activists, Mallam Issah and James K. Aidoo, Gomoa Assin NDC Co-ordinator and Secretary respectively, announced their defection to NPP, saying that Mrs. Ama Benyiwa-Doe, NDC MP for the area did not help them in times of difficulty.