NPP foot-soldiers in the Asante Akim South constituency in Ashanti Region have accused President Kufuor and the national executives of the party of neglecting them, after fighting tooth and nail to ensure victory for the party in the 2000 elections. "After helping the party, we are being denied the benefits of also enjoying power," The Chronicle quotes them as saying. Speaking at a zonal party meeting held at Konongo, the constituency capital recently, the foot-soldiers noted that after winning power in 2000 the leadership of the party told them to exercise patience for them to put the economy on the right footing. The party then assured them that they would take good care of them, after winning the 2004 elections. They regretted that the situation had not changed, even though the second term of the government was gradually coming to an end. They reminded their leaders that it would be unreasonable for them to be honoured after their death, if they failed to fulfill their promises to them and warned that the party could lose the 2008 elections through this. “We will die if the NDC comes to power”, they said. They told the meeting chaired by the Zonal Chairman, Mr. Atta Danso in no uncertain terms that what led to the defeat of the NDC in 2000, was what is being repeated by the NPP. They said President J.A. Kufuor had done well by national and international standards but when it comes to the well-being of those who entrusted power into his hands, he has failed woefully by not helping the foot-soldiers. The NPP foot-soldiers warned that 2008 is a crucial election year, because the NDC does not want to lose a third time round to the NPP. They warned against splitting the party, with some of them indicating that they would accept any offers from the Convention People's Party (CPP) if their marginalization continued. The foot-soldiers also gave the constituency executives up to the coming Tuesday, to organize elections to elect their representatives for the December 22 congress. They also called on the executives to come out to explain the criteria for selecting those to represent them in the election of a presidential candidate. They accused the Constituency Chairman, Nana Adu Asabre Korkoorh of feigning illness when they wanted him to meet them. They suspected that attempts were being made to smuggle in favorite names as polling agents for the upcoming congress. Some alleged that Asabre betrayed his preference for some of the party's presidential candidates when he openly sang 'Abamu Awie', to wit it has come to pass, at a rally organized for one of the presidential aspirants, Mr. Alan Kyerematen, a.k.a Alan Cash at Juaso recently. They further accused the executives of collecting monies from the some of the presidential aspirants and again claimed that the process for nominations for the positions of constituency executives had been kept secret, until about three days to the close of nominations when it was posted on the notice board at the constituency secretariat. In a telephone interview with Nana Adu Asabre on Monday, he denied the allegations saying that they had no basis. He said the constituency executives had met and were in the process of 'selecting' and that would be done 'as soon as possible'. He further accused Mr. Kesse, Proprietor of Stellex Pharmacy, whom he described as the Campaign Manager of Nana Akufro Addo in the constituency, of instigating the agents against the executives. The Chronicle said when its reporter pointed out to him that Stellex was late for the meeting and could not have incited them, he replied that he deliberately arrived there late. The Constituency Chairman did not agree with the paper’s reporter, that almost all those present bore the same sentiments against the executive. According to him the agents were made up of people from Konongo only. Nana Adu Asabre urged them to do away with the politics of intimidation but to rather pursue peaceful means to achieve their set objectives. Source: The Chronicle