NPP delegates' conference gets underway

Kumasi, Sept 18, GNA - The Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) is a beehive of activity as the 2004 National Delegates' Conference of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) opened in Kumasi on Saturday. The matriculation of fresh students of the university that took place at the forecourt of the Great Hall, venue for the conference, had barely ended when the delegates, supporters and party faithful started descending on the venue.

Some 1,500 delegates made up of five from each of the 230 constituencies, the National Executive Council, Members of Parliaments and the National Executive are attending the three-day conference. Supporters of the party in Kumasi particularly the youth, notably the Nasara Club who were in a festive mood and clad in their party colours, formed a long convoy of motorcycle riders as they sped from the Residency to KNUST. Those who had no motorbikes were conveyed in buses with some of them sitting on top of the buses also clad in the NPP colours to the conference grounds.

Briefing the media in Kumasi on Friday on some of the highlights of the conference Mr Dan Botwe, the General Secretary of the party, said President John Agyekum Kufuor would announce his running mate. The selection of the running mate, he said, was the sole prerogative of the presidential candidate as enshrined in the party's constitution and that he does this in consultation with the National Executive Council (NEC) that he had already done.

The General Secretary said the party had made history since it was the first time a party from the Danquah-Busia tradition had successfully ended its full tenure of office.

The conference will be crowned with a mammoth rally at the Jackson's Park on Sunday, September 19, to be addressed by President Kufuor, Vice President Alhaji Aliu Mahama, the National Chairman, Mr Harona Esseku and other top officials of the party.