Democratic Freedom Party launched

Accra, Oct. 28, GNA - The Democratic Freedom Party (DFP) on Saturday reiterated that it would not play second fiddle to any political party to contest elections in the country. It said any such suggestion was a misconception and the party would also be wary of merger talks because of their interminable and frustrating nature.

"We want to make it absolutely clear that the formation of DFP is an irrevocable decision and we are determined to build a new and viable political party, 93 Alhaji Abdul Rahman Issaka, Interim National Chairman of DFP, told cheering members clad in the party's colours of red, white, violet, green and a white star in Accra.

He said "For now we want to concentrate our efforts in building the necessary structures to enable us contest the 2008 elections and hopefully win the elections," amid shouts of victory by the teeming crowd gathered at the hall of the Arts Centre to witness the official launching of the party.

Alhaji Issaka explained that the stand of the party was however, not an indication that it was averse to any alliance or collaboration with any political party, "Because politics is a game of calculation, in which we could also need the support of other political parties in order to win an election."

He said any such collaborative decision would only be taken after thorough consultation with the rank and file of the party depending on the circumstances and peculiarity of the situation.

Alhaji Issaka said DFP was formed to provide a viable alternative and hope for disillusioned Ghanaians by providing a platform to join hands with it in influencing the political direction of the country positively.

Besides, he noted there was also the need to deepen the democratic culture at a time the country was beginning to experience a two-party system, which had turned to be unhealthy because of attacks on each other by the two leading parties thereby destroying the beauty of political discourse.

"With the arrival of DFP on the political scene, and providing a new face and image to politics we hope not only to deepen democracy in this country but also proceed to galvanise the people to win the 2008 elections."

Alhaji Issaka said DFP would tap into the material and human resources of the country to build a viable economy, emphasizing a sort of self-reliance to break the dependency on donor partners.

Mr Abraham Kofi Asante, Interim General Secretary of DFP, said DFP would not pursue economic goals, which would achieve macro-economic stability at the expense of the welfare and development of the people. He said all the economic goals would be geared towards improvement of the well-being of the people and for future generation with particular emphasis on the poor, marginalized and the under privileged. Mr Asante said premium would be placed on the provision of basic necessities of life such as adequate food, housing, water, education and roads.

He said DFP would develop a special relationship with the youth by providing them with an excellent platform to develop their creative talents and potential for the development of the country. Mr Asante said there would also be positive approach to solving the needs of women, who constituted about 51 per cent of the country's population.

Dr Obed Yao Asamoah, Life Patron of DFP urged the rank and file of the party to abhor intolerance, violence and threats, saying the party would honour the human rights dispensation enshrined in the constitution.

He asked them to eschew tribalism and nepotism, arrogance, double standards, hypocrisy and show tolerance.

"We want a paradigm shift in the culture of Ghanaian politics: from violence to peace, from confrontation to diplomacy, from impasse to compromise, from abuse to civility, from slogan mongering to problem solving, from disrespect to decency, from provocation to accommodation, from the boom to the sublime and from deceit to truthfulness," Dr Asamoah stressed. "For us power not based on moral values and principle is empty. Power that implies conflict and confrontation threatens its own survival and is not worth fighting for," he added. 28 Oct. 06