CPP says poised to win 2004 elections

The Convention Peoples Party (CPP) on Saturday said it is carrying out a re-organising exercise to become a close knit and dedicated political organisation to enable it to win the 2004 elections.

It is therefore putting in place a series of organisational strategies, including training workshops for its leaders at the various levels to project the party as a better alternative to the ruling party.

Dr. Abubakr Alhassan, National Chairman and Leader of the CPP announced the strategies at the opening of a workshop for regional executives of the party from the southern sector - Greater Accra, Ashanti, Western, Central, Volta and Eastern regions -in Accra.

Topics to be treated include Provisions of the CPP Constitution and the Party Structures, Functions of Officers and Organs, Rights and Obligations of Officers and Disciplinary Actions and Procedures.

There would also be suggestions for possible amendments to the CPP constitution.

Dr Alhassan said the CPP contested the December 2000 election against many odds, one of which was how to market the party and its presidential and parliamentary candidates just five months to the elections.

Having organised a congress to elect a substantive chairman and a presidential team just after coming out of crisis, a section within the party argued that the party should concentrate on preparations for the 2004 election, instead of using its meagre resources to contest the year 2000 elections, he noted.

They said if anything at all, the party should just select some winnable 50 constituencies and not take part in the presidential race.

Some spearheaded full participation in the elections, saying, the "CPP, is a national party and cannot stay away from national elections, however unprepared it may be."

Dr Alhassan gave statistics on the performance of the party in the 2000 elections and said the results, viewed against the odds that confronted the party before the elections, was no mean achievement.