CPP will win next elections - Alhassan

The National Chairman of the Convention People's Party (CPP), Dr Abukari Alhassan, has stated that the party will exert all effort to win political power in the 2004 general elections to bring lasting relief to Ghanaians.

He has, therefore, urged supporters of the party to show commitment, discipline and sacrifice and also intensify their mobilisation drive in order to realise the objective.

He said this when he addressed the Upper West Regional Delegates Conference of the party at Wa yesterday, as part of the party's nation wide re-organisation programme.

He said having acknowledged problems that accounted for its dismal performance in the last elections, the CPP is now putting its house in order and groom its presidential and parliamentary candidates to win the 2004 elections.

Dr Alhassan said the CPP would soon inaugurate all its regional councils of elders to fashion out effective campaigning strategies to brighten the party's chances of winning the next elections.

He said a CPP government would pay special attention to the development of the agricultural sector and provide subsidies on agricultural imputs.

The CPP National Chairman implored the ruling NPP government to strive to give equal opportunities to pupils and students who attend schools in the rural areas as their counterparts in the urban centres.

He expressed concern about the high level of poverty in the 3 northern regions, as well as the Central Region and urged the Kufuor administration to take concrete steps to address the problem.

Answering questions from the press, Dr Alhassan said the CPP would not compromise its ideological manifesto, adding that its doors are open for any progressive party of the Nkrumaist tradition that is prepared to co-operate with it to clinch victory in the next elections.

Mr Mike Eghan, third National Vice Chairman of the CPP, Thanked the party's supporters for their support in the last elections that enabled the party to place third in the parliamentary elections.

He noted with regret that people in the region had been voting massively for the NDC since 1992 and yet live in squalor, poverty and the roads in the area are terribly bad.

Madam Mary Ankomah, National Chairman of the Women's Wing of the party, said the CPP is the only party that can save the country from its present economic predicament and therefore implored party members to rebuild the nation.

Other party faithful who spoke at the function included Mr Abu Mumuni, Upper West Regional Chairman of the party.