The Great Consolidated Popular Party (GCPP) has accused the People's National Convention (PNC) of undermining the Nkrumaist unity talks by adopting an entrenched position.
The GCPP said, "A propaganda material being circulated within the Nkrumaist family by PNC indicates a rigid position adopted to absorb other members of the family into the party under its leader Dr Edward Mahama."
Mr Daniel Lartey, GCPP presidential candidate in the 2000 general election, made the accusation in an interview with the Ghana News Agency in Accra on the progress of the unity talks started in June this year.
Political parties who identify with the Nkrumaist tradition are involved in the talks. They are the Convention People's Party (CPP), the National Reform Party (NRP), GCPP and the PNC. These parties are seeking to form one party to contest the next election.
The tradition won only four out of 200 seats in the last parliamentary elections. PNC won three seats and CPP one. NRP and GCPP did not win any seats. Mr Lartey said: "GCPP is the only party capable of leading the tradition to victory in the 2004 elections with the domestication philosophy. "Domestication has been accepted throughout the country and even the NPP government has been called upon to consider implementing the concept for accelerated national development."
Mr Lartey said with such national acceptance, he could not abandon his teaming supporters in the middle of the river, adding: "We must strive for an electoral victory to make domestication operational."
He said the NRP has credibility problem; the CPP presidential candidate is dating with the NPP government and PNC is politically bankrupt. Mr Lartey blamed some leading members of the Nkrumaist tradition for the overthrow of the regimes of Dr Kwame Nkrumah and Dr Hilla Limann. "These same people are fighting to lead the unification for reasons best known to them."
A PNC document signed by Mr E. A. Halm-Quartey, Greater Accra Regional Chairman said: "Dr Edward Mahama is firmly on the ground more than any other Nkrumaist party hence the need to unite under him." It said the United Party (UP) tradition originated from the UGCC to Progress Party to Popular Front Party and now NPP. The CPP sprang from the UGCC to PNP and the tradition needs to continue to PNC.
