Minority views necessary for political stability

Wa, July 23, GNA - Dr. Abubakar Alhassan, National Chairman of the Convention People's Party (CPP) on Wednesday said the country would continue to enjoy political stability only if views of minority groups are respected.

He observed that several countries on the continent had gone through periods of turmoil because their governments neither accepted nor learnt to live with democracy and rather regarded their rule as divine right.

Dr. Alhassan was addressing the Upper West Regional Delegates Congress of the party at Wa, during which he swore in a new 13-member executive into office.

About 80 delegates from seven of the eight constituencies in the region attended the congress, which was a remarkable improvement from previous congresses of the party in the region, since the ban on politics was lifted in 1992.

The executives, who were all unopposed in the election supervised by the Electoral Commission, included Mr Abu Mumuni as Chairman, Mr Bakura Sasu became the First Vice-Chairman and Mr Halidu Issahaku, Second Vice-Chairman.

Mr Jonas Anvuur retained the position of Regional Secretary, while the position of Treasurer, Regional Organiser, Education went to Mr Mustapha Issahaku, Mr Yussif Lamin, Mr Adam Mubarik Issaka and Madam Hajia Ajera Saeni.

Dr. Alhassan commended the NPP administration for the bold moves it had so far undertaken to promote peace in the sub-region. "President Kufuor has not done badly in his efforts to ensure regional stability and we must all praise him for that," Dr. Alhassan said, adding that his success in that respect was in line with the CPP tradition.

He, however, opposed the NPP's economic policies, which according to him, could lead the country into disaster in the next 20 years if they were not reviewed.

The CPP National Chairman noted that in a country where 60 percent of the population lived below the poverty line, total privatisation could never engineer growth.

State intervention in the economy was necessary to ensure even development and peace.

"The policies being pursued by the NPP will lead to the situation where survival will be for the fittest," he pointed out. Dr. Alhassan urged the new executive to uphold the principles of the party to ensure that it thrived in the region to capture seats in the next general elections.

He advised them to identify people who would be ready to contribute to the party locally for its operations without always waiting for resources from national headquarters.

Mr Mike Eghan, Third National Vice-Chairman of the party said the CPP would present a presidential candidate in the next elections. "We will even contest for parliamentary seats in all the constituencies if logistics will permit, without playing second fiddle to any party," he stressed.