PPP won’t merge with any party – Nduom

The founder of the Progressive People’s Party (PPP), Dr Papa Kwesi Nduom, has reiterated the stance of his party not to enter into alliance with any political party ahead of the 2016 presidential elections.

Dr Nduom’s assertion follows comments by People's National Convention (CPP) Chairman Bernard Mornah, that the PPP flagbearer in the 2012 election was scuttling efforts of a merger among the Nkrumahist parties – the CPP, PNC, and PPP.

He had told Class FM this week that Dr Nduom had failed to attend a planned meeting to conclude talks towards presenting a single Nkrumahist front for the polls.

But speaking on 505 News on Class FM Friday April 18, he parried accusations that he had been the stumbling block to the negotiations, arguing he did not have the locus to take a decision on behalf of the party since he had not been elected as its candidate for the 2016 poll.

“First of all, I am not a presidential candidate. The Progressive People’s Party is probably one of the few political parties that has not gone to our national convention to make somebody a presidential candidate…so I cannot hold myself out, no one can hold themselves out to be the presidential candidate of the Progressive People’s Party. So how can I engage in any meeting as a presidential candidate with other people that have been confirmed as presidential candidates?” the businessman told Emefa Apawu.

“You will notice that my former running mate, Ms Eva Lokko, is now our [parliamentary] candidate for the Osu Klottey Korle constituency. So, you can’t say because someone was a candidate in 2012 they automatically become a candidate in 2016.”

He said the PPP leadership had earlier communicated its position on the issue of mergers for the elections, for which reason the party could not be part of any meeting between some political parties intending an alliance.

“Indeed our national secretary has had cause to issue a press release, which I hope you have…and the point is very clear. Our party has said that it is not interested in a merger with any political party. So what is [clearer] than that? So, if some people have had a meeting over something, if that meeting is over a merger, it does not include the Progressive People’s Party,” he insisted.

Dr Nduom said what the PPP was considering was the “idea of a coalition arrangement” with interested individuals and political parties.

He assured: “That process is ongoing, but that process will remain an indoor process until a conclusion is reached".

“So, even that process I am not prepared to talk about who is where, what is happening, and so on and so forth. We have come out originally to say we are interested in a coalition with other people. This is a topic or matter that does not relate to me as an individual or the Progressive People’s Party.”