Accra, Oct. 8, GNA - The Democratic Freedom Party (DFP), which split from the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) in 2006, will on Saturda= y finalise merger modalities with the endorsement of Professor John Evans Att= a Mills as flag bearer for Elections 2012. The National Executive Committee has subsequently moved a motion for formal endorsement of President Mills, NDC flag bearer for Elections 2012 and also tabled another motion for formal merger of DFP with the NDC. In accordance with Article 49 of the DFP Constitution, the party is holding an Extra-ordinary and Expanded National Executive Committee Meeting in Accra to deliberate on developments in the party especially the merger talks.

Information obtained by the Ghana News Agency from leading members of the party indicates that the party would set-up 93Winding up Committee" after the meeting to ensure the total folding up of the party and a smooth transition and integration into the ruling party. Other activities at the Expanded Delegates Meeting will be a simultaneous lowering of its national flag and hoisting of the NDC national flag to cement the merger.

Leading personalities including Dr Yao Obed Asamoah, life patron of th= e party, Mr Bede A. Ziedeng, General Secretary, will officially make public pronouncements on the merger and the NDC General Secretary, Mr Johnson Asiedu Nketia, would formally accept them back into the NDC family. The formation of the DFP was first announced by Dr Asamoah, former National chairman of the NDC, in February 2006 at the height of differences with the NDC founder and former President Jerry John Rawlings. On October 20, 2006, the Electoral Commission (EC) presented the final electoral certificate to the party in Accra to operate as a political party under the 1992 Constitution and in accordance with the Political Parties Act. The ceremony marked the conclusion of the process for authorization to operate as a legitimate political party - organise a national congress to elect officials to manage affairs of the party, and to actively participate in multi-party democratic practices in the country. The DFP's aim was to bring together like-minded people for the purpo= se of galvanizing all Ghanaians who have virtually lost hope and confidence in the political establishment due to the performance of political parties in the country. It believed that political parties, which sought the mandate of Ghanaians, must unequivocally subscribe to and demonstrate their irrevocabl= e commitment to the basic tenets of Ghana's Constitution through the organisation and conduct of their own affairs.