Koforidua, May 18, GNA - National Democratic Congress (NDC) national Chairman, Dr Obed Asamoah, has charged regional executives of the party to aspire to win the forth-coming elections in their regions. He urged the party activists to disabuse their minds that the party had a "World Bank", adding that, the current strategy of the party was to work hard and win in all the regions.

Dr Asamoah was speaking at a meeting with leading members of the party including regional and constituency executives, Members of Parliament and other opinion leaders at Koforidua on Monday. He told them that the recent voter registration exercise showed that the voter population of the Volta Region had reduced by 120,000 saying, "this requires that much efforts must be made in other regions as happened in the 1996 elections.

Dr Asamoah said in 1996, NDC won in nine out of the ten regions in the Presidential elections and won 53.8 percent of the votes in Eastern Region.

He said in the 2000 elections, the party won only 41.8 percent of the votes during the first round and stressed that the trend needed to change because Eastern Region is the third largest region in terms of voter population. "It is a strategic region that determines the fortunes of any party that wins the elections in the country."

Mr Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, National Organiser of the party, called on the regional and constituency executives to avoid "politics of exclusion" and bring on board all former members and government appointees saying they can play an effective role to enhance the fortunes of the party.

He urged members to concentrate their efforts at the branch levels, "because it is at the branches that the elections would be won." He assured them that all the necessary structures from the branches through the constituency to the regional levels have been put in place to ensure a co-ordinated campaign for the victory of the party in the Eastern region.

Earlier in a welcoming address, the Regional Chairman of the party, Mr Fred Ohene-Kena, said people were clamouring for a change in government during the 2000 elections, "but now most Ghanaians are regretting for voting for the New Patriotic Party."

He said living conditions of workers were getting worse by the day with people complaining of economic hardship everywhere. He held that the only way that the NDC could take advantage of the situation to win the votes of the people was through unity, sacrifice and hard work.