CPP challenges NPP to use ROPAL for its Congress

Accra, Oct. 4, GNA- The Convention People's Party (CPP) on Thursday challenged the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) to demonstrate its commitment for the Representation of the People's Amendment Law (ROPAL) by enforcing it during its Special National Delegates' Congress to select a flag bearer for Elections 2008.

"Since the NPP claim that the passage of the law was borne out of a desire to ensure equal enjoyment by the citizenry of their inalienable rights wherever they may reside, it is imperative for the party to allow its overseas branches to fully participate in the process of selecting the party's flag bearer.

"NPP should discard its quota system for selection of delegates from overseas branches to fly to Ghana to participate in the Congress. Rather the Party should put in place a mechanism for their members to vote at their current place of abode," Dr Kwaku Osafo, CPP presidential hopeful, told the Ghana News Agency in an interview in Accra. Dr Osafo said if the NPP used external voting during its December 22 Special National Delegates' Congress it would serve as its logical commitment to ROPAL.

"The challenge is borne out of the necessity to test NPP's acclaimed interest to grant the right to vote to every citizen without any residential qualification.

"According to the NPP, the government's adoption of ROPAL was to reinforce the links between the domestic and overseas Ghanaians." Dr Osafo said NPP must simply live by their words and the arguments they advanced for the passage of the law.

Speaking on his bid for the CPP flag bearer slot, he said: "I will focus on a strong local government, maintenance of law and order as well as human resource development as a priority to ensure the country's rapid development."

He said no country could progress without a sound and quality education, discipline and effective participation in decision-making at the local level.

Dr Osafo said the CPP had a bright chance to win Election 2008 because both the NPP and National Democratic Congress (NDC) had failed Ghanaians.

He said during CPP's tenure of office it established the needed infrastructure including schools, roads, hospitals, water and ports, and other major projects for the development of the country. What was left was to bring economic freedom to the people.

However, since the overthrow of the CPP in 1966, successive governments had thrown many people out of job thereby impoverishing many Ghanaians, he said.

"NPP is killing the existing jobs and putting Ghanaians on the streets," he said, adding that he was seeking the leadership of the CPP because he had the ability to create jobs for the people.

"I have done it before and when I am given the mandate, and with a team of men and women in the CPP, we can create jobs to bring smiles back on the faces of Ghanaians."

Dr Osafo said he was capable of leading CPP to victory since he would offer a decisive leadership for the Party.

However, he admitted that the Party needed to mobilise enough funds and to secure the right logistics for an effective campaign.

Dr Osafo, who sounded confident of victory, stressed the need to increase the membership of the Party and pledged to begin a dialogue to get those who had left the Party to return.

"I am somebody that can bring all factions together when given the flag bearer slot," he said.

He urged party executives at the various constituencies to absorb his message and vote for him at the Party's congress since he was ready to deliver electoral victory in 2008 and move ahead to deliver economic freedom to all Ghanaians.