Elections 2008 is opportunity for "incremental change" -CPP

Accra, March. 25, GNA- The Convention People's Party (CPP), on Tuesday said Election 2008 is an opportunity for Ghanaians to vote for a party with ideas for "incremental change".

"We voted out Continuity in Change for Positive Change in Election 2000, but now we need incremental change," he said.

"I represent real change. Change that Ghanaians can feel; change that will benefit all Ghanaians, not just a privileged few; change we can all feel in our individual pockets and change that will bring national transformation," Dr Paa Kwesi Nduom, CPP Flag bearer for Election 2008, said at a press conference in Accra. The press conference and photo-exhibition were organized to highlight the experiences of the CPP flag bearer's Community-Based Campaign tour throughout the country, to interact with ordinary Ghanaians, professional bodies, traditional rulers and party functionaries.

He said the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) were offering more of the same continuity to benefit those, who had become well connected since 1993 - professionals politicians and the elite in society.

"They also practised politics that divided the people, polarized everything into those for and against", he said, adding that, everything that came from them was good while those from others were bad. Dr Nduom said the CPP wanted a change from "this bad attitude" and unite Ghanaians towards a developmental common agenda of making the nation strong and its people proud and prosperous.

"Am therefore asking the mandate of the people to vote for the CPP Presidential candidate and parliamentary aspirants during the December polls to ensure that we implement humane policies to liberate our nation once again from deprivation, poverty, under development, corruption, unemployment and vindictive politicking," he said.

On his campaign tour, Dr Nduom who is a former Minister for Private Sector Development, said the key issues that confronted Ghanaians were the basics, such as, "jobs that would pay a living wage; roof over the head; good drinking water; uninterrupted power supply; good educational system; proactive health delivery system, security and free movement".

Other issues the campaign team identified were the north/south economic disparity, which continued to widen; poor infrastructural development, bad roads, and general neglect of the countryside. Dr Nduom said a CPP-led Government in 2009, would implement consistent and aggressive policies to support domestic industries through the provision of low-interest government loans and guarantees, technical assistance, tax incentives and market advantages to ensure that they provided sustainable jobs and offered living wages and salaries to workers.

"A CPP Government would take full responsibility to prepare comprehensive plans to renew and spread basic social infrastructure - water, electricity, schools, roads, rail transportation and affordable housing throughout the country."

He therefore urged the electorate to vote massively for the CPP

"since the party holds the key to the nation's economic liberation, "we are offering the alternative to NPP and NDC governance". Mr Ladi Nylander, National Chairman of the party, assured the supporters that the CPP was not fronting for any political party. "We are in the race to win the elections, we will not join any political party, but our doors are still open for any individual or group of people to enter and be part of the winning team for Election 2008."