Defectors from Ghana's ruling party form new party

07:59 a.m. Jul 28, 1999 Eastern

ACCRA, July 28 (Reuters) - A splinter group from Ghana's ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) have won final approval to form a new political party, just over a year from national elections.

The National Electoral Commission awarded the National Reform Party its formal registration certificate on Tuesday. The new party has 60 days to give the commission detailed records of its assets and accounts.

The party's interim general secretary Kyeretwie Opoku told a news conference on Tuesday that it would run against President Jerry Rawlings's NDC in late 2000 elections and in the event of a second-round would consider an anti-NDC alliance.

He accused the authorities of harassing party militants.

``Reformists have been threatened with arrest and others have actually been detained for questioning by state security for no justified reasons,'' he said.

He warned that the party would take legal action against those responsible for such acts in future.

``Now our legal status is beyond challenge and we send a message to the perpetrators of the attacks that Reform will respond to every illegal and politically motivated attack on its members and supporters,'' he said.

Under the constitution, Rawlings is barred from running for another term in 2000.