Bekwai (Ash), Oct 19, GNA - Feuding factions of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Asante-Bekwai constituency have smoked the peace-pipe and vowed to push forward in unity. This followed a well-patronized family meeting arranged by a group of leading members and held at the Catholic Social Centre in Bekwai at the weekend.

Constituency executive, Polling Station chairmen and a huge crowd of supporters from various communities attended. Controversy over the selection of the party's parliamentary candidate in the run-up to the 2008 general poll led to bitter clashes pitting the executive against the foot soldiers. Supporters who felt the primary was fixed for the then Member of Parliament, Mr Kofi Poku-Adusei, threw their support behind independent candidate, Mr Joe Osei-Owusu, to wrest the seat in the parliamentary election.

Mr Patrick Adu-Gyamfi, one of the key NPP stalwarts who brokered the peace, said this should send strong signal that the party was determined to go into election 2012 with a united front. He said challenges ahead of the party demanded that they spoke with "one voice" and ensure unity of purpose to recapture political power and restore hope and confidence to Ghanaians. He said the party could not afford to allow petty squabbles to draw it back, adding, it was time each of them accepted to place the NPP ahead of individual ambition and interest.

Mr C.O. Attah, the constituency chairman, pledged they would ensure transparency and work to strengthen the party's structures at all levels. He said he was confident of NPP's chances of returning to power in the next election given the poor performance of the Mills Administration that has led to economic hardship and despondency among majority of Ghanaians. Mr Kennedy Kwasi Kankam, Ashanti Regional NPP Youth Organizer, expressed joy at the show of maturity that had brought back peace to the party in the area. He said he was in no doubt that the pending election to pick polling station chairmen in the Constituency would be "a big success." 20 Oct 09