Mr Owusu Boateng, External Branch Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in Italy has urged the leadership of the party to develop guidelines to prevent the emergence of splinter groups to forestall future divisions.

“We must move along in unity and avoid inner fighting; there should not be parties within a party, if that happen it destroys the party. We need to develop guidelines to stop these things,” he told the Ghana News Agency at the ongoing NPP Special Delegates Congress at the party’s headquarters on Sunday.

Mr. Boateng observed that, respect for the party’s constitution ought to reign supreme and guide the actions of party leaders and members to work in unison towards securing power in the next general elections.

About 787 delegates are casting their votes in the Special Delegates Congress taking place in 11 polling centres in the 10 regional capitals and at the national headquarters.

The exercise is to cut down the number of presidential hopefuls from seven to five as required by the party’s constitution.

Mr. C. K. Tedem, Chairman of the Council of Elders, Mr. Dan Botwe, Member of Parliament for Okere, Nana Ohene Ntow, former General Secretary of the party and Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, NPP’s 2012 presidential candidate accompanied by his wife, all voted at the party’s national headquarters.

The seven presidential hopefuls are Mr. Kofi Konadu Apraku, Mr. Asamoah Boateng, Mr. Francis Addai-Nimoh, Mr Osei Ameyaw, Mr. Alan Kyeremateng, Nana Akufo-Addo and Mr. Joe Ghartey

Mr. Botwe told journalists that he was impressed with how the various agents were vigilant and expressed the hope that they would transfer that spirit in the national elections to clinch victory for the party.

About 20 uniformed police officers were spotted inside the party compound while a lot more positioned themselves along the principal streets around the party Headquarters.

Voting is expected to end at 1500 hours while about 140, 000 delegates are to vote later in October to select the party’s flagbearer for the 2016 presidential and parliamentary elections.