Movement formed to promote independent candidates

Accra, Sept. 19, GNA - A new political movement, the Platform for Independent National Alternative (PINA), has been formed to sponsor independent candidates for 2008 presidential and parliamentary elections.

The movement, according to Mr. Sampson Yeboah, was an alternative to all registered political parties and would have "clearly distinctive local and national policy choice for voters". Its motto is "The National Mission First".

"PINA is a local initiative seeking to rescue the nation from corrupt, divisive, exclusive and chronically under-performing national politics of financial persuasion, ethnic affiliation, religious identity and misplaced personal attributes, that now plague and threaten the future of multi-party democracy in Ghana," he told the Ghana News Agency in Accra.

He said; "to help steer Ghana away from this looming danger" PINA was committed to a programme of adopting and sponsoring any qualified Ghanaians who intended to stand as independent candidates at both parliamentary and presidential levels on a common nationwide platform. "The platform is intended and will provide policy choice for voters in alternative to what any of the registered political parties can and will offer."

Mr. Yeboah said, in view of the "encouraging ongoing responses" to the initiative, PINA was asking voters to set up "PINA Victory Voluntary Clubs" to support all adopted and sponsored independent candidates in all the polling station areas.

He said any five or more such eligible voters within a polling station area who formed the Club might apply to be registered as such. Mr. Yeboah said where two or more candidates were short-listed in the Presidential slot or any constituency seat, they would be expected to go through a test of direct voters' primary elections to select the winner to move onto the national level elections as a sponsored independent presidential or parliamentary candidate. According to the requirements for candidates, all applicants must satisfy the legal requirements to stand for and hold public office in Ghana.

The prospective parliamentary candidate may be a serving or former member or chief executive of a local assembly and/or may demonstrate acceptable managerial and executive career record in national and international companies or organisations.

The prospective presidential candidate may possess all the qualifications of a prospective parliamentary candidate, a serving or former member of parliament, or a serving or former member of government.

Applicants must state the grounds for their claim to be independent of all the political parties in not more than 150 typed words, provide in not more than 200 words a six-point action plan to transform their constituency, transform Ghana as an independent president within four years in a manner that any of the existing political parties is incapable of achieving in government.

Mr. Yeboah said applicants should provide copies of their CV, a list of three referees, which should be delivered to: The Human Resource Agency, PMB, CO, Tema by October 15, 2007. He said applicants would be informed of the results of the initial selection process by 31st October, 2007. 19 Sept. 07