CPP And Reform To Merge

The National Executive Council of the Convention People?s Party (CPP) has approved a unity pact with the National Reform Party after months of negotiations. The Party?s National Executive approved the deal at the biannual meeting at the weekend. The decision comes immediately after the Reform Party also announced its decision to merge with the CPP. The two have agreed to form a new party based on the Nkrumahist ideology to be known as the New Convention People?s Party.

CPP General Secretary, Dr Nii Noi Dowuona told JOY FM that the CPP?s national executive set itself a one-month deadline within which to streamline activities of both parties ahead of the 2004 elections. Executives of both parties will now faction out how the merged party will operate. The merged party is expected to go to congress by June 2003, to elect a flagbearer. Dr Dowuona says once a flagbearer is elected, the constituencies will elect their parliamentary candidates for the elections.

Meanwhile, General Secretary of the National Reform Party, Kyeretwie Opoku says his party will not interfere in the internal wrangling of the CPP. Dissenting opinions within the CPP became public with a series of media exchanges between a group calling itself the Parliamentary Action Group and the leadership of the party recently. Mr Kyeretwie believes that disagreements within parties are normal and will eventually work for the good of the party. He is convinced that all differences will be ironed out before the 2004 elections. He is also confident that internal upheaval within the CPP will not affect the merger between two Nkrumahists parties.