Mampong (Ash), Oct. 14, GNA - Nana Owusu Sekyere, 62, the United Ghana Movement Parliamentary Candidate for the Mampong Constituency in Election 2000, has defected to the New Patriotic Party (NPP). He said his decision was based on the fact that the NPP Government had been able to turn the economy around within a little over three-and-a-half years of assuming power.

Nana Sekyere, who announced his defection at the Constituency Office of the NPP at Mampong, said he appreciated the Government's ability to tolerate its political opponents and to ensure probity and accountability.

He said: "I have defected to join the NPP to pave the way for others who are jealous of the NPP Government's liberal democracy and prudent economic measures to do likewise."

Nana Sekyere said he would apply his unique ability to motivate and mobilise the electorate to vote for the NPP in Election 2004.

He said parliamentary candidates of the NPP, who had lost the primaries, still had a role to play in advancing the progress of the Party and appealed to them not to leave the Party but to work hard to enable it to win the elections.

Nana Kwasi Duah, Constituency Chairman, who welcomed the Nana Sekyere to the Party, said, "if you have traced your political roots and have returned to the NPP, bear fruits worthy of emulation".

Mr Peter A. Sarkodie, the NPP Parliamentary Candidate for the Constituency, said now was the opportune time for those, who strayed to other parties to come back home to the NPP where peace and love prevailed.