The Eastern Regional Executives of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) have called on party members in the region to close all groups in the party in the region as the party prepares towards the 2016 general elections.

Speaking in an interview on Wednesday shortly after the newly elected executives of the party at its maiden regional meeting held in Koforidua to take stock of the just ended regional delegates’ conference as well as to plan strategies they will put in place ahead of the 2016 general elections, the newly elected regional Secretary Mr. Mark Oliver Kevor appealed to the rank and file of the party to come together.

Mr. Mark Oliver Kevor said, the only ingredient that could retain the party in power is unity, hence urged all losing candidates in the just ended regional elections which took place at Nsawam – Adogyiri in the Akwapim South Municipality of the Eastern Region to join the new executives to plan towards the 2016 elections.

He indicated that, for the NDC to improve its fortunes in the region in the 2016 general elections, it would behooves on every party member to contribute his or her widow’s support devoid of acrimony and hatred.

To this, the Regional Secretary took opportunity of the meeting to announce the dissolution of teams and groups that supported individual candidates ahead of the regional conference and charged them to support the new executives.

He explained that, the task ahead was highly enormous for the party hence it would be political suicide and unwise to motivate the formation of groups and teams to champion an individual interest other than the general interest of the party.

“As we speak now the party in Atiwa West is in a magistrate court with the EC, about 54 registered minors and their parents asking the court to expunge those names from the register. There is a lot of work to be done and we need to get focused’, he stressed.

Meanwhile, the leadership of the party in the region has expressed its appreciation to the media and the Electoral Commission (EC) for their professional corporation before and during the regional conference.

On his part, the newly elected Regional Chairman Mr. Bismark Tawiah Boateng re-echoed on the need for unite among the rank and file of the party in the region in order to further strengthen the party’s chances of retaining political power in 2016.

According to him, although the regional congress was a family affair which came off peacefully and was very transparent, obviously some of the contestants would not be happy with the outcome of some of the results.

He therefore, used their first maiden meeting to officially introduce all the newly elected executives of the party in the region who are going to manage the party for the next four (4) years.

The full list of the new regional executive is as follows: Mr. Bismark Tawiah Boateng, Chairman, Mr Samuel Kwaku Adjei and Madam Stella Ansah, Vice Chairpersons, Mr Oliver Kervor, Secretary, Mr Francis Annor Dompreh Deputy Secretary, Mr Ransford Owusu-Boakye, Organiser, Hackman Seidu Kabore, Deputy Organiser, Baba Jamal, Propaganda Secretary, Selorm Agbesi, Deputy Propaganda Secretary, Samson Kwakwa, Treasurer, Okai Minta, Deputy Treasurer and Madam Evelyn Korang, Women’s Organiser.

The rest are Hajia Salamatu Abu and Catherine Ayakwa, Deputy Women’s Organisers, Appau Wiredu Haruna, Youth Organiser, David Dakudzi and Benedicta Lasi, Deputy Youth Organisers.

Notwithstanding the results, the regional chairman called on all to put the past behind them and unite to make the party in the region a formidable force to reckon with ahead of the 2016elections.

The region has 33 constituencies out of which the NDC occupies only seven seats and in the 2012 election, the party secured 43 per cent of the presidential votes as against the NPP’s 56 per cent.

He called on the founder members of the party and all those who once occupied positions since 1992, including diplomats, metropolitan/municipal and district chief executives, as well as parliamentarians, to lend a helping hand in making the party great and strong to convincingly clinch victory in the 2016 election.