KUMBUOR, DERY, ZEDIENG TO CONTEST LAWRA-NANDOM (PAGE 16)

Story: George Folley Quaye, Lawra

THE Member of Parliament (MP) for Lawra-Nandom Constituency in the Upper West Region, Dr Benjamin Kumbuor, has been re-elected the parliamentary nominee for the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
With his re-election, the stage is now set for a political battle between him, Mr Ambrose Dery of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and Mr Bede Zedieng of the Democratic Freedom Party (DFP). The battle has been dubbed by many as the “clash of lawyers”.
At a constituency delegates conference held at Lawra, Mr Kumbuor was elected by popular acclamation in an election supervised by officials of the Electoral Commission (EC), led by Mr Festus Owiredu-Amankwah.
In an acceptance speech, he told the delegates that the contest in the constituency was between the NDC, NPP, and the DFP, but not personalities.
“Kumbuor is not in any competition with anybody, but it is a competition between the NDC, NPP, DFP, CPP, and the PNC,” he added.
According to Dr Kumbuor, the real battle was on the ground, but not in the media, and gave the assurance that come December 7, 2008, the NDC would win both the presidential and the parliamentary elections in the constituency.
He also attributed the expected victory to what he termed, ”I thought my competitors would change their old methods but they are still using them in their campaigns.”
Dr Kumbuor said the NDC was going to use scientific methods to campaign, but not the provision of water, electricity, among others, to bait the people.
“If anybody wants to claim to be a politician, then they should have the resources of the Lawra District Assembly alone. I have not been able to provide motorbikes and roofing sheets, but I have served my people with integrity and honesty, which has put the constituency on the international map, and is now attracting people to the constituency,” he said.
He was, however, disappointed that unlike the other political parties which were present at the conference, the DFP was conspicuously absent.
Dr Kumbuor commended the EC, and hoped that they would continue to be impartial in the discharge of their duties.
The Regional Secretary of the NDC, Mr Kale Caesar, called on the supporters of the party to remain united, since victory for the NDC was a forgone conclusion.