The New Patriotic Party has withdrawn a directive banning its Members of Parliament from openly declaring support for any of the presidential candidates. The directive was announced by the General Secretary of the party Mr Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie on Thursday as a measure to regulate activities of the party officers ahead of the presidential primaries. Under the rule party officers at all levels – national, regional, constituency, polling station and overseas branches and MPs - were to refrain from openly declaring their support for any individual candidate or campaigning for them. The directive provoked deep sentiments and objections by some MP's who had already declared their support for one candidate or another. But Kwadwo Afriyie vowed to carry through with the directive and warned of sanctions against members who flout the directive. In a surprise turn around however, the General Secretary says his directive has been misinterpreted. According to him, MPs can openly declare support and campaign for any candidate of their choice but must do so with a lot of circumspection. He said the party hierarchy will not allow divisive statements which will in the long term affect the candidate who will be selected eventually. His announcement of the rule met with fierce resistance from some of the party's MPs. Atwima-Mponua MP, Isaac Asiamah, told Asempa FM on Thursday that it was a very dangerous path to tread if it was indeed true that such a rule existed in the party, while the MP for Bimbila, Dominic Nitiwul, expressed surprise that the party would set such a rule, knowing that MPs are very active political elements. Bibila MP, Dominic Nitiwul and Asokwa MP Maxwell Kofi Jumah similarly disagreed and said they considered the rule an interpretation of the the General Secretary. Meanwhile, Nana Addo, who has been on the quiet for a while now, is expected to start a regional tour on Wednesday. Head of Communications for Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo Addo, Mustapha Hamid, says the team has been holding meetings at the grassroots level on the quite. He told Joy News' Cyrus DeGraft Johnson the team has a strategy "to give a message to the delegates that will also resonate with the entire nation for 2012." Source: Myjoyonline.com/Ghana