Apparent moves by the Eastern Regional executive of the New Patriotic Party to prune down the number of contestants from there as a measure to increase the Region's chances of success in the party's presidential primary have been criticised.

Speaking to The Statesman yesterday in reaction to the news, a number of aspirants described any such pact as a nonstarter. One party elder described it as smacking of "tribalism.” The Eastern Region has the highest number of hopefuls, most of them strong contenders, bidding to lead the ruling party in the December 2008 general elections. This is causing a lot of anxiety in the Region, prompting the Eastern Regional Chairman of the NPP, Yaw Gyekye Amoabeng, to disclose that the regional executive body of the party is working behind the scenes to help prune down the number of aspirants hailing from the Region.

The number of aspirants from the Eastern Region is conservatively put at six, but can be stretched to eight. The real fear is about them canceling each other out.

But, the idea of reducing the contest to an inter-Regional battle does not sit well with some notable politicians, who think it smacks negatively of regionalism, if not ethnocentrisms.

“I hate the practice of tribalism and I hate that idea of getting aspirants from one region to rally behind one or two from the same region because it smells too much of tribalism. In fact I hate tribalism of any form.” This was the reaction of Akenten Appiah-Menka, leader of the Ashanti Regional Council of Elders of the NPP.

According to the veteran politician, those candidates who will apply to file when nominations are opened will do so after weighing themselves carefully and seeing themselves capable of the succession.

His view is that the individuals should be left alone to make up their own minds on their competency and electability.

Mr Amoabeng, however, believes a merger of forces would better serve the needs of the party in the Eastern Region and the nation as a whole, and make it easier for the region to compete in the presidential primary.

A high number of the strong candidates hail from the East. The Region has four Cabinet Ministers and two former Cabinet Ministers poised to file for the presidential nominations this year.

Hackman Owusu-Agyemang, Nana Akufo-Addo, Felix Owusu-Adjapong, Yaw Osafo-Maafo and Dan Botwe are all seen as strong contenders, with remarkable records of achievement and strong individual roots to the party.

A rank outsider, the New York-based Vice President of the Bank of America, Boakye Agyarko also hails from the East.

But, a Region like Ashanti can also lay claim to strong contenders. Kwame Addo-Kufuor, Kofi Konadu Apraku, Alan Kyerematen, Frimpong-Boateng and Kwabena Agyapong all hail from the nation's biggest region, with 39 constituencies. Speaking to The Statesman yesterday, the man who came third in the 1998 NPP primary, Dr Apraku, said he would not consider any such alliance. Nor would he support any of the other aspirants and forget his own credible ambition of becoming the next presidential candidate of the NPP.

“I am saying that if there is going to be one person in the race, it will be Kofi Konadu Apraku,” he confidently told this paper.

He was, however, amenable to being the beneficiary of any such compromise. Dr Apraku said he would welcome such a move from anybody but that he would definitely contest without making any compromises himself.

Capt (rtd) Nkrabeah Effah-Dartey, currently the only known aspirant from the Brong Ahafo Region, is also of a similar view - no personal compromise. He says he is definitely going to contest when the party opens nominations later this year.

“I"m in the race to win by the grace of God and I’m not going to align myself to any aspirant,” he stressed.

In an interview with Kwabena Agyapong yesterday, the youngest man to express interest in the presidency insisted that he was also not interested in merging with anybody or bodies because he had his own philosophies and political ideas, which other aspirants from his region might not necessarily share.

“I am sending my message across and I believe it’s going down well. I am encouraged by party members who know my contribution to the party and I don’t believe anybody will even approach me with the suggestion that I should step down and throw my weight behind somebody from the same region I am from.” According to the former press secretary to the President, political campaigning is a serious business, therefore, the constituents or delegates should listen to all the aspirants to help them make informed choices.

Whilst admitting that suggestions of a pact are flying around because of anxiety about the growing number of hopefuls, Mr Agyapong believes this should not be seen as a problem since the numbers are rather making the contest exciting.

“People are running around the country campaigning and that is rejuvenating the party. In fact we are doing the work that people at the national headquarters ought to be doing,” he said, adding, “I have already done 145 constituencies and I’m still going.”

Mr Appiah-Menka says he does not support the idea of any region engineering a policy of pooling resources together to support one person. Again, he expressed disapproval with talk of the next president having to hail from a particular region. “I don’t believe in that kind of talk. That it is the turn of this region because that region has had its turn syndrome.”