The General Secretary of the National Reform Party (NRP), Mr Opoku Kyeretwei says the party would ratify a unity pact with the Convention People's Party (CPP) to pave the way for the adoption of a comprehensive organisational programme.
He said this, when implemented would lead to a national party congress in 2003 to elect national officers and a flag bearer for the 2004 elections. Mr Kyeretwei made this known in a fraternal message he delivered at the biennial meeting of the National Executive Council (NEC) of the CPP in Accra. The meeting attracted party executives from the 10 regions, members of the Central Committee, Council of Elders and other officers of the Party who discussed issues vital for the rejuvenation of the Party.
Delegates from the UK-Northern Ireland and North America branches of the party also attended. Mr Kyeretwei said the National Council of the NRP has endorsed the alliance with the CPP, and called for the establishment of principles, structures and procedures that would guarantee equality and accountability to all progressive activists. He said the New CPP family needs unified progressive leadership that could relate to the activism that the ordinary people were already exhibiting.
The National Treasurer of the People's National Convention (PNC), Alhaji Ahmend Ramadan condemned the suggestion within CPP cycles that the party is begging for safe seats from the ruling party. He said the "PNC would never work with an Nkrumaist party that would trade its political birthright for a potage of parliamentary seats instead of vying for the total general elections". Alhaji Ramadan warned: "If the CPP fails to contest the 2004 general elections, posterity will never forgive them."
Meanwhile, the CPP Parliamentary Action Group (PAG) has expressed concern about the failure of the leadership to promote growth, organization and welfare of the party since the last elections. The PAG described the CPP as a party not strong enough to compete seriously and win power by itself in the 2004 general elections. It therefore called for an immediate action to simultaneously strengthen the party and adopt a strategy to win more parliamentary seats for stronger national voice.
The PAG said "Ghana needs a stronger CPP with its non-coup making democratic tradition as part of the country's drive for good governance", stressing that the CPP had learnt from both its positive and negative experiences when it was in government and is now better placed to promote constitutional democracy and human development as the key to prosperity in the country”.
