Elections 2008 would be a different ball game

Accra, Oct. 07, GNA - Mr Felix Kwesi Owusu-Adjapong aspiring flag bearer of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) on Sunday said Elections 2008 would be a different ball game altogether for the party, "as such we must select a presidential candidate capable of attracting votes even from our opponents."
He noted: "NPP contested Elections 2000 with the euphoria of "Positive Change" and won. We went to Elections 2004 on the shoulders of President John Agyekum Kufuor's economic achievement within the relative short span of four years, and won.
"President Kufuor cannot be our candidate for Elections 2008. Moreover, the NPP cannot go to the elections singing the same old hymns like 'interest rate is down,' 'inflation is down,' 'the cedi has stabilized,' 'democracy is thriving,' 'freedom of speech, good governance or rule of law are enhanced," Mr Owusu-Adjapong told Ghana News Agency in an interview in Accra.
The Flag bearer aspirant noted that with the impressive macro-economic achievements by the party under the leadership of President Kufuor over the past years, Ghanaians now needed a Development-Oriented Leader.
"A Leader who creates things out of nothing, a leader who, when given five talents would resourcefully transform them to ten and not the one who would return just what he/she was given, a leader who would take the advantage of President Kufuor's macroeconomic achievements and unprecedented good governance record to move Ghanaians to the next positive step and put money into their pockets," he stated.
Mr Owusu-Adjapong therefore urged the delegates to the Special National Delegates Congress on December 22, to elect him as the party's flag bearer, as according to him "the party neededs a good party man; a good party person who can unite the party and eventually the country; a good party person who is even liked by people referred to as floating voters or 'marginals' of the other political parties.
"A good party person with reasonable qualification and experience to lead the party and Ghana, who stands tall among the scores of aspirants vying for the single slot of leading the party into Elections 2008."
The NPP congress is essentially to elect a good NPP person with the attributes indicated above to lead the party for the general election. On the national front, Mr Owusu-Adjapong said Ghana can be developed only by Ghanaians. All others, at best could assist. Therefore steps must be taken to put Ghanaians at the centre of the country's development agenda. There must be concerted efforts to create the new Ghanaian middle income class.
"To me, we now have in Ghana middle class workers and not middle income persons. Our late Leader Professor Kofi. A. Busia of blessed memory pursued such a cause of action leading to the emergence of wholly owned Ghanaian organizations like Pambros.
"If that was possible in the late 1960s and early 1970s, then it should be taken for granted that this is easily achievable in the 21st century.
The former Majority Leader and Minister of Parliamentary Affairs also outlined options for the speedy development of the country, which includes policies relating to agriculture, education as a tool for effective and speedy decentralization; public education to change eating habits to promote environmental health and encourage agro processing. "I have, over the last nine months or so brought this good news to the owners and major shareholders of the NPP. I have met all the ten Regional Executives of the Party at their offices one by one. "In the same vein, I have visited each of the 230 constituencies and also met the Officers of the Party at the national level. Having presented these facts to them, they have endorsed my intention to enter the contest and promised me of their support and cooperation," Mr Owusu-Adjapong stated. 07 Oct. 07