Elections 2004: Win or Break for all parties - NDC

Accra, Aug. 18, GNA - The National Democratic Congress (NDC) on Monday declared the 2004 general election as a win or break for all the political parties.

The elections would offer the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) the opportunity to assess its success for possible re-elections or rejection, whilst it would offer the NDC a platform for testing its new philosophy for either re-capturing political power or stay again in opposition, Mr John Mahama, Communications Director NDC stated in Accra. To the Nkrumaists political traditions, the Member of parliament for Bole said Election 2004 would offers a challenge for the NDC to re-assert its relevance to the 21st century party politicking or perpetually remain in the political wilderness.

Mr Mahama stated this at the launching of a 340-page book titled, "Countdown to 2004 Elections: Compilations of all the results of the 1996 and 2000 Presidential and Parliamentary Elections with Analysis." He also noted that it would offer the ruling Danquah/Busia Tradition, the first opportunity to organise general elections whilst the Electoral Commission (EC) and all stakeholders would use it to deepen the democratic development of the country.

Mr Ben Ephson, Managing Editor of the Daily Dispatch newspaper is the author of the Book, which has the pictures of both President John Agyekum Kufuor and Professor John Evans Atta Mills the NDC Flag bearer for Elections 2004 on its cover.

The author attempts to analyse the 1996 and 2000 Presidential and Parliamentary Elections, breakdown of the more than 8,000 towns making up the 200 constituencies, all the results in the 1996 and 2000 General Elections and an overview of 50 photographs depicting elections and political scenes from the 1990's to date.

Mr Mahama said the forthcoming general election would also deepen the country's democratic culture as well as the understanding, and patients for a change of government through the ballot box. Mr Dan Botwe, General Secretary of the ruling NPP, who jointly launched the Book with Mr Mahama condemned the dormant political parties, who see party politics only as an electoral tool.

He urged political parties to broaden their scope of operations especially in between elections to include analysis of the elections, educating and contributing to national issues as well as being a constructive opposition party.

The NPP General Secretary said the government and the party would organise clean, competitive and transparent elections, which would ensure that the party with the best strategic advantage would win. Mr Botwe reiterated the NPP's determination to win the Presidential election and 140 Parliamentary seats in 2004.

He also commended the Electoral Commission for being one of the best in the world.

Mrs Gifty Affenyi-Dadzie, President of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), who chaired the launching, called on the government to provide adequate funding for the EC to prepare a credible voters' register so that all the parties would accept the outcome of the elections.

The NDC, NPP, GJA, Radio Gold, Peace FM, CPP, Dr Kwaku Afriyie, Minister of Health and Madam Faustian Nelson a leading member of the NDC were among institutions and individuals who bought copies of the book. EPP Books Service also bought 20 copies for Ghana Institute of Journalism and the School of Mass Communication Studies at Legon.