Mr. Jacob Marlon Annan, was elected as National Democratic Congress (NDC) Takoradi constituency Parliamentary candidate for the 2008 elections at a delegates meeting at Takoradi on Saturday. Mr. Annan, an educationist based in Norway polled 134 votes to beat Fiifi Sangari a businessman who had 24 votes. The election was conducted by the Electoral Commission and supervised by Mr. Yaw Gyan, Deputy National Organiser of the party and Alhaji Maama Fuseini, Western Regional vice-chairman of the NDC. Mr. Annan thanked the delegates for the confidence reposed in him and said the election was the beginning of the struggle to wrest political power from the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP). He called for hard work, sacrifice and unity among the rank and file of the party in the region, saying this would be the first step to victory in the forthcoming elections. Mr. Yaw Gyan called on party supporters and sympathisers to remain loyal and vigilant to thwart alleged plans by the ruling party to rig the 2008 elections. He alleged that the ruling NPP had begun the training of "macho" men to further its agenda to manipulate the 2008 elections. The NDC Deputy National Organiser said the party had mobilised funds for the training of polling agents whose activities, he noted, would be crucial in the NDC's strategy to win the elections. Mr. Gyan indicated that this time round, those who would present themselves, as polling agents would be "carefully screened to ensure that they act in the best interest of the party". He pledged the party's support for the Takoradi constituency to enable it to win the seat "for the first time in many years". Source: GNA