Accord all parties due recognition- Aggudey

Accra, Nov. 22, GNA- Mr. George O. Aggudey, Presidential Candidate of the Convention People's Party (CPP) on Saturday urged the media and socio-political commentators to accord all political parties fair coverage for the sustenance of multi-party democracy.

He said "media practitioners own Ghanaians a duty to inform and educate the electorates on the viable alternatives other parties are offering aimed at alleviating poverty, improving the living conditions and accelerated growth."

Mr Aggudey was speaking at workshop for over 150 members of the party in the Greater Accra Region to discuss the Party's ideological direction, administration and strategies for Party organization.

The Netherlands Institute of Multiparty Democracy and the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) are sponsoring the workshop under Ghana's political Programme.

The programme also focused at enlightening members of the party in the region on local level political leadership and democracy.

The CPP Presidential candidate for Elections 2004 emphasised the need for internal discipline within the party saying, "discipline is the vital ingredient for success in any society.

"We have to uphold this virtue to maintain the internal cohesion of CPP, and in any mass organisation, the collective will of the membership supersedes that of any single individual or sectional group interest."

Mr Aggudey appealed to all members to regard and respect policies and decisions of organs of the party and desist from pronouncements, especially in the media that tarnish the image of the party.

On the unity of the Nkrumaist front, he said efforts at attracting other Nkrumaists into CPP should not compromise the party's organizational programme towards the next general elections.

He said towards this end, the objective of the party would be to organise at the grass root level to enable the constituencies select their respective candidates to contest the parliamentary seats.

Dr Edmund Delle, CPP National Chairman called for unity among the rank and file of the party, saying it was a necessary tool for the success in next year's general elections.

He said the spirit of unity and not individual survival should underpin the actions of members to ensure that the party fulfils its goal of bringing Ghanaians together and ending the long spell of economic stagnation.

The party Chairman said party members needed to exercise a high level of integrity and honesty since the wealth of a nation did not only depend on the resources available in the country but also on the thinking of the citizenry.

It is in this direction that the education on the party ideology is crucial since it would lead to the formulation of good programmes that could revive the economy.

He stressed the need for ideological training for all Ghanaians so as to inculcate into them the love for the country, saying without it the country would continue to lag behind.

Dr Delle appealed to all Ghanaians to discard the idea that the party is made up of only old people and rally behind it to ensure success in next year's elections to bring meaning to the life of Ghanaians.

Dr Kwesi Jonah, Co-ordinator of Political Programme (IEA) said the Institute was financing the four parties with members in Parliament in order to consolidate democracy in the country.

He said funds made available would enable the party to set up office and buy equipment, build the institutional capacity and to defray operational expenses.