The Deputy Majority Leader, Abraham Osei Aidoo says the ongoing energy crisis could in a way affect the chances of the ruling New Patriotic Party in the 2008 general elections and hence needs to be solved soon.

"It could affect NPP in a way because it has a telling effect on the economy. Factories are closing down and workers are sent home. The government or the party will be a victim of circumstances that are not of its own making, Mr Osei Aidoo said.

The Deputy Majority Leader who is also the NPP MP for Tema West was however quick to point out that even though the energy crisis could affect NPP it will not be the determining factor of the 2008 elections.

He noted that the nation has for the past years not taken energy situation seriously and indicated that as a nation there should be a national policy on energy that is sustainable.

This notwithstanding, he pointed out that the government under President Kufuor has taken pragmatic measures on the ongoing load shedding exercise and hopes that pretty soon the desired results will be achieved to end the crisis.

Reacting to NPP Presidential aspirants who have been leaking information on each other to the public, Mr Osei Aidoo said he does not expect anyone who wants to be leader of the party to indulge in foul play.

"Anyone who undercuts another contestant s hugely unfit to be our leader," he emphasized.

He was optimistic that any of the aspirants who will emerge as winner in the December 2007 Congress will definitely be the next President of Ghana.

"There is no doubt about that because if some aspirants are leaking information about others to put them in a bad light, the delegates will get the information and take a decision on the one elect".

Responding to some of the complaints of NPP foot soldiers that there are no jobs, he remarked that it is the hope of the party to improve the lot of its foot soldiers but the problem is that sometimes the jobs are available but some of the people do not qualify.