Accra, March 15, GNA - Branches and wards of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) as the grassroots structures of the party should embark on an aggressive membership drive to ensure victory in the December general elections for the party.

They should also undertake a sustained campaign and educational drive on the party's manifesto and programmes to ensure a high party voter turnout and mobilization.

These were stated by Mr Jonathan Nii Tackie Komme, MP for the Odododiodioo constituency, at the inauguration of the three wards of the party in the area at separate ceremonies at Korle Workon, Kinka and Ngleshie in Accra.

He pointed out that the inauguration of the wards was part of a major reorganization in the constituency to ensure vibrant party structures in the area.

Mr Tackie Komme commended the members for displaying their loyalty, dedication and love for the NDC and stressed the importance of branches and wards and explained that, while the branches are organized around polling stations the wards co-ordinate their activities in an electoral area.

The MP identified the ward executives as the Coordinator, Secretary and Organising Secretary, while the branches were to have a nine-member executive each.

He said the deliberations of the branches were to be taken to the wards, which, in turn would carry such concerns to the constituency executives for solutions.

"Elections are won at the polling stations, which show the importance of branches and the wards as the basic unit of party structure", Mr Tackie Komme stated and urged the members to take their deliberations seriously.

Mr Daniel Nii Okai, Constituency Chairman commended the members for attending the first ward meeting in their numbers and explained that the wards were being revived to "bring the party to the doorstep of the people".

"The wards are to discuss plans and strategies to ensure victory for the party", he said and urged the people to take advantage of the exercise by the Electoral Commission (EC) to update the voters register. He asked all those who had misplaced or damaged their Voter Identity (ID) cards to go for new ones to enable them to exercise their franchise in the December general elections.

Mr Okai explained that there would be one centre in every electoral area for the ten-day exercise by the EC.

He appealed to the branches to provide six people each to be trained as polling agents of the party to monitor the whole electoral process from registration to the display of the register and the election to ensure that the party won to form the next government. The Constituency Chairman asked the branches to ensure that only people ready to sacrifice and had the time to undertake the task ahead were selected for the training.

Mr Okai asked the people to encourage all those who had misplaced or damaged their voter ID cards to take advantage of the exercise as part of their campaign to attract more supporters to the NDC to make the December elections a "foregone conclusion". 15 March 08