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General News of Saturday, 28 February 2004

Source: GNA

GCPP holds third National Delegates' Congress

Accra, Feb. 28, GNA - The third National Delegates' Congress of the Great Consolidated Popular Party (GCPP) has began in Accra to either endorse or reject the nomination of Mr. Dan Lartey as the party's Flagbearer for the forthcoming presidential election in December. The congress would also elect 16 other people to take up various positions within the party, which include the national chairman, first and second national chairmen, general secretary and deputy general secretary among others.

The Electoral Commission, which would supervise the elections, would however have a field day since apart from the first and second national vice chairmen, candidates for other positions were standing unopposed.

In his keynote address, Mr. Lartey stated that the GCPP has the solution to problems of the country's socio-economic crisis and if given the opportunity it would perform creditably and pull the country out of its present economic woes.

He said, to do this, the party would shift from the current over-dependence on the IMF and World Bank conditionalities to a new structure of government based on "domestication".

"This structure will collapse the abominable IMF HIPC initiative adopted and operated by the NPP government which has impoverished the nation and reduced it to beggar budgetary content".

Mr Lartey said that the party if given the mandate would ensure that there was peace in Dagbon and Bawku and would create a congenial atmosphere to dispel crisis in the country to ensure economic growth. He said the party would also take adequate steps to create jobs to eliminate unemployment completely and explained that measures would be put in place to resuscitate all abandoned factories and support state enterprises to grow.

Mr Lartey said the GCPP would forge exemplary relationship with all sub-regional groupings, including the ECOWAS, the African Union, the Commonwealth, the UN, EU as well as the Russian Republic.

He said 37 out of the 47 years of Ghana's independence have been wasted and said that was only under the reign of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah that substantial achievements were made.

According to Mr Lartey five delegates from all the 200 constituencies were attending the day's congress, which would also discuss some constitutional issues of the party. Mr Kwasi Pratt Jnr. Editor of the Insight and an addend Nkrumaist who was the guest speaker expressed hoped that the congress would be used to patch up all differences within the party and commended Mr Lartey for his zeal over the years to better the living standards of the people.

Mr T. N. Ward Brew who chaired the opening ceremony urged Ghanaians to reject both the NPP and NDC during the general elections since they have all failed to find solutions to the real problems facing the country.