Re-direct energies at opponents - NDC Regional Chairmen task members

Accra, Nov. 5, GNA - Mr Kobina Ade-Coker, Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Regional Chairmen's caucus, on Friday charged party functionaries to re-direct their political energies towards marketing the party to retain power in election 2012. "The current open agitation and vibrancy in the party is a misdirected communication strategy; we must focus on propagating the achievements of the government whilst exposing our political opponents' distractive agenda to the public," Mr Ade-Coker told the Ghana News Agency in an interview in Accra.

He said over the past two years, Professor John Evans Atta Mills and his government as well as the NDC leadership had shown extreme tolerance.

"At the same time, our government has done its utmost to firmly and fairly maintain law and order under all manner of circumstances." Mr Ade-Coker, who is also the NDC Greater Accra Regional Chairman, tasked members across the country to rise up, mobilize relentless support and project the positive achievements of the government. He said under President Mills, the NDC was projecting a new culture of stable political institutions and friendly competition to guide a common National Agenda with the broad participation of all sectors of the society.

"We have witnessed a disturbing resurgence of the old style of confrontational politics, both between and within political parties, where the aim is not the common good of our people but the narrow interest of individuals and groups.

"The NDC rejects this style of yesterday's politics and reiterates its commitment to good and participatory government for the benefit of all our people and for the stable development of our nation," Mr Ade-Coker stated.

Mr Ade-Coker, however, stressed the concerns of people especially some leading members of the party, who had expressed some form of reservation about development in the party. "But as members of a family we must use internal mechanisms to voice out our concerns," he said. "Anytime we use the media to speak out on internal matters...we disarm, ridicule and create the grounds for confusion within our rank and file as well as arming our opponents with bullets to hit us later. This must stop.

"Using illegitimate means to speak to genuine challenges generate unnecessary intra-party antagonism and destabilization." He defended the role of the NDC Regional chairmen in the current political dispensation of the party, saying "we serve as vanguards of the party, the link between national leadership and government on one side and the rank and file of the party". Mr Ade-Coker said: "We have engaged all groupings within the party, including President Mills on a truthful, factual and up-to-date discussion and debate. It's a platform for high level intra-party dialoguing on issues." He urged the United Cadres Front and all other aggrieved members to exercise restraint, direct concerns to the Regional Chairmen's caucus for redress "as the media battle is not in our interest". 5 Nov. 10