Dr. Paa Kwesi Nduom, Presidential candidate of the Progressive People’s Party (PPP) on Monday advised Ghanaians to change their mindset of voting and give the party a chance in the country’s reconstruction processes.
He said “voting on partisan lines” had not done the country any good, emphasizing that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) had contributed their part to national development but had nothing new to offer Ghanaians.
Addressing market women, petty traders, commercial and taxi drivers as well as some supporters and sympathizers of the party in Sunyani, Dr. Nduom stressed that there was the need for the electorate to “test the strength” of the PPP in governance.
The PPP presidential candidate is in Brong-Ahafo to officially introduce himself to the electorate.
He said the country had all the required natural resources including bauxite, diamond, timber, gold and oil to accelerate its development, but poor governance and corruption on the part of successive governments had stifled such progress.
“What has compounded the problem is the spread of cholera, malaria and dysentery, as well as malnutrition among children”, Dr Nduom said and gave the assurance that the PPP would use its first four year-term in office to eliminate malaria in the country.
The PPP presidential candidate said Ghanaians would no longer allow the NDC and the NPP to sway them with “sweet campaign promises”, but would rather allow their living conditions to determine how they would vote.
"Since 1992, the NDC and the NPP have not done anything realistic to alleviate the plight of the ordinary citizenry, as majority of the populace continue to live in abject poverty", Dr Nduom said.
Kofi Siaw Asamoah, National Secretary of the PPP, observed that the just ended voter’s biometric registration exercise was characterized by violence and confusion “because both the NDC and the NPP know they cannot win the election without manipulation”.
He said the electorate would do great harm to themselves and their children if they vote for either the NDC or the NPP as these two political parties had nothing new to offer Ghanaians.
As entailed in the party’s manifesto, the PPP is committed to reducing unemployment, by creating more jobs within its first four-year term in office.
Executives of the party took advantage of the presidential candidate’s visit to register and admit new members.
Though the membership cards were processed at GH¢1.00, a large number of eligible voters joined queues to obtain it.
Some of them told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in an interview, after obtaining their cards that they were fed up with the NDC and the NPP.
“It is time we give another political party, the PPP, the chance to rule the country”, Vida Ayiwa, a trader remarked, flashing her PPP membership card.
She complained about the slow pace of business activities, saying that, “those of us who have gone for bank loans continue to receive legal threats”.
Anthony Forkuo, a wood seller, was also optimistic that the PPP was the party that could create an enabling environment for sound business opportunities.
Many other eligible voters expressed willingness to join the PPP but could not afford the fee.**
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