Kumasi, May 13, GNA - A group of supporters of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Asawasi Constituency have called for the intervention of the leadership to save the Party from imminent collapse in the area. They complained that the activities of the Chairman, Mr Peter Otchere, was causing serious cracks and disintegrating the Party and said if immediate action was not taken to "stop him", the damage would be irreparable.

These were contained in a petition they sent through the Ashanti Regional Minister and signed by 25 of them.

They accused the Constituency Chairman of applying "divide and rule tactics" as well as unilateral decisions, saying, "he puts his personal interest over and above that of the party".

They maintained that the NPP Constituency Office had been rendered dysfunctional as Mr Otchere was now operating the Party from his mother's house.

"Since the electoral defeats suffered by the NPP in the December 2004 general poll and the recent parliamentary by-election in the constituency, one would have thought that a meeting would be held to review the Party's performance and discuss the real causes of the poll losses but that appears to have no place in Mr Otchere's scheme of things."

They claimed his only concern was about how to hold on to his position and achieve the goal of chairing the Asawasi Sub-Metropolitan Assembly.

They said, in furtherance of this ambition, he had handpicked his cronies and close associates to serve on the Sub-Metropolitan Assembly without consultation with other members of the Executive. They said what they found disturbing about his selected list of people for the Sub-Metro was that most of them were simply unqualified and would not be able to perform. "We believe that he should not be allowed to either have his way or gamble with the fortunes of the Party", they said. Mr Otchere denied all the accusations when the GNA asked him to comment on petition and insisted that the petition was from people "who only get active when it is time for elections".

He admitted nursing the ambition to become the chairman of the Sub-Metro and was quick to point out that there was nothing wrong with it, as he was qualified for the position.