The General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Dr Nii Armah Josiah-Aryeh has said that the selection of flagbearer for the party will be based solely on merit and not any ethnic consideration.

?I think that any member of the party who is of good standing and wants to contest the flagbearership should be given the opportunity to do so. Once that is done, the onus will rest on the delegates to decide whom to give their votes.?

Dr Josiah-Aryeh was speaking to ?The Evening News? in Accra on Tuesday on a cautioning statement attributed to Dr Obed Asamoah, National Chairman of the party that the NDC should seriously consider not to elect a flagbearer from the Volta Region because ex-President Rawlings hails from that region.

He said it was erroneous for anybody to think that a flagbearer should not be elected from the Volta Region because ex-President Rawlings comes from that region. The NDC General Secretary described as unfortunate the notion being created that a flagbearer from the Volta Region would spell the doom of the party in the 2004 elections.

He said the NDC was social democratic which believed in freedom and equality of every individual, irrespective of one?s religion, ethnicity, and therefore, ?it will be said if one?s ethnicity is used to deny him the freedom to seek for a position in the party?.

He stated emphatically that he did not in anyway support that idea, although Dr Asamoah was entitled to his opinion. He hinted that apart from Alhaji Mahama Iddrisu, who had also done the same, apparently to contest for the flagbearership.

In accordance with the party?s new constitution, Dr Aryeh said every executive member who intended to contest for the flagbearership should resign his position three clear months before the congress.

He called on every member of the party interest in the flagbearship not to hesitate to file his or her nomination which would close on 23 November 2002 He said the national Executive was seriously preparing towards a successful congress. The General Secretary said although the party was broke, every effort was being made to hold clean and fair congress.