Reform Party at the crossroads, as National Organiser quits

Since the 2000 elections, not very much has been heard from Ghana's newest party, the National Reform Party.

Evening News reports that the National Organiser of the party, Franklin Osei-Wusu has quit the party over misunderstandings with the high echelons of the party.

He has been accused of spending time running his security firm to the neglect of the party's organisational work.

Having suffered what has termed as humiliation in the last elections without any parliamentary seat, some of the members of the party are now turning their attention on their National Organiser and calling for his head, the Evening News reports.

Some members of the party held a meeting in the capital, Accra last week at the end of which they summoned their party's presidential candidate in the last elections, Augustus Goosie Tanoh, one time close associate of the former president, Jerry Rawlings, to answer why the leadership has failed to rejuvenate the party.

The Reform Party broke away from the NDC due to what it termed undemocratic practices in the party.

Other leading members of the party expected to appear before the members of the party include, its presidential running mate in the last elections, Cletus Kosiba, national secretary, Kyeretwie Opoku, National Chairman, Peter Kpordugbe and National Treasurer Dr. Nat Tanoh, a younger brother of the presidential candidate.

According to the Evening News, after six hours of deliberations at the party's headquarters, the members, made up of some regional chairmen and aspiring MPs passed a resolution asking their leaders to tell them what the problems of the party are, for a concerted effort towards solving them.

They complained about the inability of members to contact any of the leading members of the party since the last election and the total collapse of the head office located at Asylum Down in the capital Accra.

The head office is currently without telephones, electricity and even water due to the inability of the party to pay its utility bills. What is worse according to the paper is the absence of office staff at the headquarters due to salary arrears. Only the security officer is at post.

Member of the party are also not too clear about the party's role and stand on the on-going talks between the Convention People's Party (CPP), the Great Consolidated Popular Party (GCPP) and their Party.

The Reform Party supported the NPP in the presidential re-run but insisted it does not want any position in the Kufuor all-inclusive-government. Since the Kufuor administration took office some six months ago, the Reform Party has never made any public comment on any national issue, leaving many wonder whether the party is still alive. The members see this first meeting as the beginning of a revival and a rebuilding process.