The New Patriotic Party (NPP) continues to brainstorm on the way forward in its quest to regain political power come 2012. There is a major stakeholder’s conference next month which will make major decisions to amend the NPP constitution to allow for changes in how potential flag bearers are selected. While preparations are being made for that extra-ordinary Conference, a founding father of the party has made the most striking suggestion yet. Kwame Pianim has told Citi News that the Party should elect a Ga or a Fanti as its chairman to dispel the perception that the NPP is an Akan Party. He says it is only by selecting somebody from the South like a Ga, Fanti or an Ewe that the NPP will begin to enjoy the mass following it derives to win the Elections. Kwame Pianim says a Ga chairman for the NPP will make the party very comfortable in Accra. "If you have a Ga as your chairman, it also means that you’ll feel comfortable in Accra. They will sell you to the people around here and when you feel comfortable in Accra that reflects all across the country because people will see that you are followed in Accra. "Even though the Akans are in the majority in Accra and the Gas are in the minority I have always been of the view that we should always get Ga candidates for our constituencies in Greater Accra and support them with our majority, not taking over so that a time will come when the Gas will not be represented in parliament…The minority tribes should feel comfortable in the major political parties that we have, it reduces tension in Ghana,” he said. In 1996, the NPP had Mr Peter Ala Adjetey, as Chairman but lost in that year’s Election. Odoi Sykes another Ga, however won the 2000 Elections for the NPP as Chairman. Kwame Pianim insists that the political trend in Accra determines the temperature across the country and if the Gas are comfortable with the choice of NPP candidate, the UP tradition will be back in power. “The trend and the fashion in Accra determine what the people in the countryside will do and therefore if you make yourself as a party feel comfortable in Accra and if I have a Ga as a chairman of the party it makes a lot of difference or somebody from the Central Region. "Then you bring to the heart of the party decision-making the concerns of the minority groups that may otherwise not be reflected. "You need to make the major political parties; NPP, NDC really national. Don’t let us portray to the people of Ghana that the NDC is a Volta Region-based party and the NPP is an Ashanti-based party,” he said. Meanwhile the General Secretary of the NPP, Nana Ohene Ntow has expressed outright disagreement with Mr. Pianim’s assertion. Speaking to Citi News, Nana Ohene Ntow said, although he agrees with Mr. Pianim that there are perceptions that the NPP is an Akan-based party, that perception is not entirely true. He said since that erroneous perception can have a damaging effect on the NPP; the onus now lies on the party to build an image that will “correspond with the reality.” Nana Ohene Ntow added that the current leadership of the NPP reflects all regions and for that matter merely having a Ga or a Fanti chairman cannot inure any strategic benefits to the party. Source: citifmonline.com