About 2000 delegates of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) are expected to converge on Koforidua, the Eastern Regional capital from January 5 to January 7, 2007 for a national conference aimed at re-energizing and resourcing structures of the party in preparation towards the 2008 elections.

The three-day conference under the theme "Moving forward in unity" would be hosted at the famous Hotel EREDEC and climaxed with a non-denominational church service on Sunday, January 7 and a rally at the Jackson's Park later in the afternoon.

These were disclosed by the National Organizer of NPP, Mr Laud Commey at a press conference in Koforidua on Tuesday.

Those attending the conference would comprise 1,429 delegates from the constituencies and other delegates from the foreign constituencies of the party.

Laud Commey said the conference would discuss reports from the regions, some key ministries and the government to assess how the manifesto presented to the people of Ghana by the party was being fulfilled.

He said a special feature of the conference would be an opportunity to be offered delegates to chat with President Kufuor and ask him key questions on issues affecting their areas.

Commey said some proposals had been forwarded to the party secretariat and would expect some amendments to the constitution of the party.

He also explained that as far as the party was concerned, there were no presidential aspirants of the party and that names of several party members being bandied about as potential candidates could best be described as party members conducting consultations and "testing the waters".

Commey said per the party’s constitution, nominations for possible presidential aspirants are opened 14 months before an election and it was after the filing of nominations that a committee would be set up to vet the nominees and confirm qualified aspirants.

He also described as fun, recent poll results published in the media depicting some party members as likely winners of the party’s presidential candidate slot. He said the party’s delegates were not automatic choices and wondered who the pollsters spoke to or polled.

Source: GNA