Koforidua, Aug. 23, GNA - The Eastern Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr Yaw Gyekye Amoabeng, has said the party would maintain all the 22 parliamentary seats that it won at the 2004 elections and win extra four seats in the region at the 2008 elections. He was speaking at a press conference organized by the party on Wednesday to mark the 15th anniversary of the establishment of the party at Koforidua.

Mr Amoabeng said it was the wish of the regional executive of the party that the presidential candidate of the party for the 2008 election should come from the Eastern Region but that decision rested with members of the party throughout the country and not only the delegates of the region.

He advise delegates to the congress at which the presidential candidate would be elected not to see the congress as their cocoa season and elect the highest bidder. They should elect a candidate who could win the confidence of the Ghanaian electorate and has the capacity to manage the country's complex problems.

Mr Amoabeng appealed to the presidential aspirants of the party to base their campaigns on issues and desist from abusing the rights of other candidates.

Mr Alecs Agobo, the Eastern Regional Secretary of the party, said most of the people claiming to be foot soldiers of the party and making the greatest noise were people who recently joined the party from other political parties.