PNC to state party's position on CPP electoral alliance

Accra, May 20, GNA - The People's National Convention (PNC) will on Thursday officially state the party's position on the electoral agreement with the Convention People's Party (CPP) for the 2008 election.

Ms Zalia Seidu, a leading PNC member, told the Ghana News Agency on Tuesday that the National Executive Committee (NEC) would hold an extraordinary meeting on Wednesday, May 21 to deliberate on the PNC/CPP electoral agreement.

The NEC would also adopt measures to safeguard the interest of the party and ensure that the party was not marginalized by any individual or group of people, she said.

"After the NEC meeting, Dr Edward N. Mahama, PNC flag bearer and Alhaji Ahmed Ramadan, National Chairman and other leading members of the party will address the press," Ms. Seidu stated. Ms Seidu, who is a former Deputy Youth Organiser, called on members and supporters of the party to stand firm and live up to the ideals of its late founder, Dr Hilla Limann, "even if it will take the party 100 years to come to power.

"One thing is clear, NEC will resist any attempt by any individual or group of people to take over or swallow the PNC." She denounced the "Nkrumaist unity talks" saying that, the "generality of PNC sympathizers and objective observers in the country do not see anything good or positive that would come out of the so-called CPP/PNC unification".

Ms. Seidu said the displeasure of many PNC members about the unity talks was manifested in the response across the country when the CPP unilaterally announced the electoral agreement.

She said the PNC had "a clear, consistent and enduring set of ideals and principles which must be used to win more supporters instead of banking hopes on the unification that can never work". Ms. Seidu explained that the basic problem facing the party was how to obtain funds to keep the structures at the grassroots level, as polling station and constituency offices had completely closed down with the resultant despondency among the ranks.

"We need to revamp the party. The perception that without Nkrumaist unity, there is no way CPP or PNC can win election, is propaganda by our detractors.

"The theory has created confusion in the minds of leading members of the party as most often we over-concentrate on efforts to unite rather than focusing on election." Ms Seidu said every election year Nkrumaist unity becomes a major topic pointing out that whilst other parties are educating the electorate on their manifesto and electoral agenda, "we focus on unity". She disagreed to a suggestion that without a broad unity among Nkrumaists, there was no way the political tradition can spring back to political life.

Ms Seidu said the talk of unity had rather pushed the two parties into the political insignificance and they were a laughing stock of other parties.

She called on both the leadership of the PNC and CPP to build their respective parties from the grassroots comprising the wards and constituencies in line with the view of the late President Osagyefo Kwame Nkrumah that "organisation decides everything". Ms Seidu urged Nkrumaists to inject some youthfulness into the party to attract more youth. Leading members of the CPP flag bearer's campaign team last Wednesday announced that the two parties had agreed to work together for the December polls. According to them, a joint negotiating team of the two parties agreed that Dr Nduom would be the flag bearer whilst Dr Mahama would be the running mate.

The two parties also agreed to contest the 230 parliamentary seats based on the strength of either party on the ground. Unity talks between the two Nkrumaists parties have collapsed in the past as both parties refused to shed their identity - slogan, logo and leadership positions.