Bolgatanga, Aug. 24, GNA - The National Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr Peter Mack Manu, on Tuesday expressed optimism that the party would retain power in 2008.

Speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency in Bolgatanga, Mr Mac-Manu said: "The NPP will not only win the presidential seat but will also win more parliamentary seats, especially in the areas it lost during the last election".

He attributed the inability of the party to win more parliamentary seats in the Region to the internal rambling amongst party executives. He stated that his visit to the Region was to settle all existing disputes within the party, saying he had already settled the Bawku Central Constituency one, which would be followed by the Binduri and the Talensi-Nabdam constituencies.

Mr Mac-Manu indicated that the Bawku Central Constituency issue was settled amicably and that the party members were very happy when that issue was resolved. He said party members in Bawku Central had bestowed on him the title "PUT", meaning "Patience, Understanding and Tolerance," in view of the wisdom he had applied in settling the problems in that constituency.

Mr Manu said the party was ready to grant amnesty to all members who went independent or defected to other parties during the last election and were willing to return to the fold. "My vision is to secure stability and energise the party to enable it to retain power in 2008," he stressed.

He announced that a 10-member committee had been set up in the Region to oversee the settlements of all petty squabbles within the party.

He exhorted Ghanaians to vote the NPP back to power to enable it to continue its good work.