One of the leading aspirants in the New Patriotic Party flagbearer contest, Alan Kyerematen has stated that apart from being the best person to lead the party in the 2008 elections, he had earned the right to succeed President Kufuor. This is because as Chairman of the Young Executives Forum, he and his group financed the campaign that helped President Kufuor to win office in the 2000 elections, and by rights he should assume the presidency after President Kufuor’s term ends. Addressing Polling Station executives from 6 constituencies in the Central Region at the weekend, Mr Kyerematen said he had been perhaps the most loyal member of the Kufuor administration and the party. “I have really paid my dues to the NPP,” he stated. On the choice of flagbearer for the NPP, the former Trade and PSI Minister said there was the need for the party to choose not just a popular candidate but one who was marketable as well to make selling the person’s candidature easy for the party in next years general elections – attributes he says he possesses in abundance. He was of the opinion that the Kufuor administration had done enough to ensure another electoral victory for the NPP. He pledged his support for whoever emerges victorious at the end of the December 22 congress, and demanded the same kind of support from the 17 other aspirants if he is chosen flagbearer, something he sees as almost a done deal. He acknowledged though, that it was not going to be easy, and called on his sympathisers to support him with prayers. The Polling Station executives were drawn from the Abura Asebu Kwamankese, Mfantseman West, Assin North and South, Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abrem and Cape Coast constituencies.