No single party can attain 51 per-cent votes - Alhassan

Tamale, Aug. 20, GNA - The chairman of the Convention Peoples Party (CPP) , Dr Abubakar Alhassan on Saturday predicted that no political party in the country can single handedly win the next general election by 51 per cent.

"Members and supporters of the CPP must therefore redouble their efforts to ensure that the party wins as many votes as possible to either be the first or be with the first''.

Dr Alhassan who was addressing a meeting with members of the Northern regional executive of the party's council of elders in Tamale did not rule out a CPP electoral alliance with any of the opposition parties to enhance its election prospects.

"We are negotiating with the National Reform Party for a possible alliance, so that we will be part of the team to do the round off", he said.

Dr Alhassan said the CPP has also set in place undisclosed mechanisms that will facilitate its chances of either being part of the governing team or forming the next government.

He urged the elders, many of whom were political activists during the first republic to use their vast experience to strengthen the winning chances of the party.

Dr Alhassan said the logistics constraint facing the party should not deter party supporters to work extra hard for victory adding that, '' very soon all these problems will be solved'' The spokesman for the council of elders, Ex Warrant Officer (Alhaji Musa Maida appealed to the electoral commission to change the date for the elections which he said falls on the first Friday of Muslims' period of fasting considered as a holy day.

Alhaji Maida's statement follows a similar appeal made by representatives of central mosques in Tamale on Friday, claiming that the voting day will disenfranchise the about 60 to 90 percent Muslims in the region.