Let's feel middle income status in our pockets - PPP

The Progressive People’s Party (PPP) has called on President Mahama to translate into the pockets of Ghanaians benefits of the middle-income status that its government says the country has attained.

According to the party, the only way Ghanaians can have a better appreciation of the middle income status is when the citizenry can practically feel its importance in their pockets

“We want to become a true middle income country that is reflected in the living conditions of our people, [we want a] change we can feel in our pockets and not in statistics…,” the PPP insisted.

Addressing a press conference in Accra at the weekend on the occasion of the party’s one year anniversary, its 2012 parliamentary candidate for Ayawaso West Wuogon constituency, William Dowokpor, said the PPP seeks to deliver tangible results that Ghanaians can feel and know that a new dawn has arrived.

“This remains our long-term strategy to transform this country from a developing world to a fully developed nation and we remain committed to implementing it when we govern Ghana,” he added.

He also seized the opportunity to remind Ghanaians that the PPP is the best alternative to the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

“The PPP is determined to seize the opportunity to implement an Agenda for Change; based on the four pillars of: Incorruptible and Competent Leadership, Education, Healthcare and Jobs,” he stressed.

These four pillars, he said, are founded on the party’s vision of “establishing in Ghana a strong and progressive society in which no one will have any anxiety about the basic needs of life… where poverty and illiteracy no longer exist and disease brought under control; and where our educational facilities provide all the children of Ghana with the best possible opportunities for the development of their potentialities.”

The PPP’s vision, he added, would be built on the spirit of inclusiveness and an incorruptible leadership that will reduce the size of government and improve the performance of the executive.

He also reminded the Electoral Commission (EC) of the party’s proposal on electoral reforms which, he said, would inure to the benefit of the country when considered.

“The PPP has written to the Electoral Commission and is waiting to be given an audience to discuss concerns and proposals for electoral reforms.

These reforms, he reiterated, include enforcing the Political Parties Act and disqualify parties that do not meet the minimum criteria as well as moving to a fully electronic voting system similar to those found in Brazil, Mexico etc.

He said the interest of the country and its electorate would be best served if it meets the minimum conditions of transmitting votes electronically to two separate independent locations; allowing international observers to have full access of the entire process with no closed door sessions at the polling stations; contracting two internationally recognised audit firms, under 50%/50% contracts with local audit firms, to audit the results independently and cross-check each other’s work.

“The electronic voting machine should be designed by a Ghanaian technology firm in partnership with an international major in technology. It should be designed such that “rejected ballots” shall be zero.

"Each political party that meets the Political Parties’ Law criteria to become a political party will be granted a seat on the board of the voting machine company. We can no longer accept a system where over 250,000 votes are not counted, when 250,000 votes are enough to decide an election,” he said.