DFP elects flag bearer for Election 2008

Accra, April 05, GNA - Mr Emmanuel Ansah-Antwi, a 48-year-old Marketing and Communication Consultant on Saturday beat Alhaji Abdul Rahman Issaka a businessman and interim National Chairman of Democratic Freedom Party (DFP) to be elected flag bearer for Election 2008. Mr Ansah-Antwi a political novice polled 868 votes representing 81.2 per cent of the total valid votes of 1,069 whilst veteran politician, Alhaji Issaka had 201 votes representing 18.8 per cent. The total votes cast was 1,083 with 14 rejected ballots, the Electoral Commission (EC) announced at the end of the first National Delegates Congress of DFP in Accra.

Mr Kwadwo Osafo Kantaka, EC Deputy Chairman in Charge of Operations who lead a team of high powered electoral officials to supervise the election therefore declared Mr Ansah-Antwi duly elected.

Mr Ansah-Antwi commended the delegates for electing him a youthful personality to lead the infant party to the crucial Election 2008, stressing that "other political parties were given the chance to elect younger presidential aspirants but they refused to acknowledge the potential of the youth.
"They rejected Dr Ekwow Spio Garbrah, Mr Dan Botwe and others who represented the youth at their congresses."
He said DFP youth were indebted to the leadership of the Party for creating the enabling condition and platform for youthful personality to take control of the Party and position themselves for leadership roles in national politicking and governance.
Mr Ansah-Antwi said through his victory, the youth had demonstrated that never again would they allow political parties and personalities whose governments failed the litmus test of corruption while in office, be given the chance to return to power.
"Enough is enough, we cannot continue to saddle our unborn generation with anymore debts and inefficiencies through the special interest of some leaders."
He said a DFP led Government would develop a National Youth Policy with the full participation of the youth, focus of gender mainstreaming through affirmative action in all areas of national development, "as a happy and fulfilling motherhood is a source of pride to children and the elderly."
Mr Ansah-Antwi declared: "I stand for peace, stability and development and considered the welfare of the people as paramount, everybody irrespective of social status should have a fair share of the prosperity that abound in Ghana."
On the campaign for the Chief Executive Officer seat of the nation, Mr Ansah-Antwi said the issue at stake was not the presidential candidate or party with a better vision for the country, but rather the candidate with the ability to act to make the vision a reality. The Congress by popular acclamation endorsed a 21-member national executive committee, adopted the party's draft manifesto, constitution and passed a motion to accept the regional delegates' conferences organized throughout the country within a week, which were conducted in contravention of the Party's constitution.
Meanwhile, the defeated flag bearer aspirant, Alhaji Issaka, has blamed Dr Obed Yao Asamoah, Life Patron of the Party for his electoral defeat but accepted the election as free, fair and transparent.