CPP lags behind in preparation for Elections 2008

Accra, Nov. 30, GNA 96 The Patriots, a pressure group in the Convention People's Party (CPP), on Thursday bemoaned the lack of preparedness of the Party for Election 2008 saying it lags behind other political parties, especially the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) in arrangements for the vote.

=93Our political competitors appear to be ahead of us with overflowing 91war chests,'=94 a statement signed by Naa Kordai Assimeh, Coordinator of the Patriots, said.

=93The NDC has set date for selection of its presidential candidate two clear years ahead of the general election. The NPP has also set in motion mechanism for the selection of its presidential candidate, but on the Nkrumaists front there is an absurd silence,=94 the statement said. The Patriots said it was time the Party's Leadership came up with the plan of activities towards a National Delegates' Congress to elect a presidential candidate, who should be marketed for at least one-and-a-half years to the Elections.

The Patriots called on the Leadership of the CPP to urgently organize an emergency Central Committee meeting to discuss and lay out plans for Election 2008.

A timetable of the Patriots said the CPP Leadership should immediately launch an organizational programme for wards elections by February 2007 while Constituency elections should be held in March 2007. Regional Executives elections should be held by the end of April 2007, it said, adding that this would set the pace for the National Delegates' Congress in June 2007 to select a presidential candidate and build a quality leadership team capable of supporting and marketing the flag-bearer.

=93Alongside such a plan, we expect the Party Leadership to launch a detailed organizational scheme that should include all the relevant elements, namely the structures, systems and procedures designed to guide the new set of leadership teams across the country after the elections for efficient politicking.=94

The Patriots noted that even though the timetable was vital towards the CPP capturing of the seat of government in Elections 2008, it may not be adequate in both scale and depth if the Party failed to set its organizational machinery in place to win back the confidence of its sympathizers to swell up its support base.

It, therefore, called on Party activists to actively participate in moves to reorganize the Party's structures and prepare it for battle in Election 2008.