General News of Monday, 27 October 2008

Source: GNA

NDC not interested in power sharing

Accra, Oct. 27, GNA - The National Democratic Congress (NDC) on Monday refuted allegations that it was embarking on acts that would lead to power sharing, should it lose the December polls.

At a press conference in Accra to react to allegations by some members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) last week that suggested that the NDC was interested in power sharing, Mr Fiifi Kwetey, Propaganda Secretary of the NDC, said apart from not being interested in power sharing, the party was also not interested in sharing power with a class of people whose regime had been "characterised by corruption and deceit" among others.

Mr. Kwetey said allegations that NDC sent its Director of International Affairs, Mr Kofi Attoh, to Kenya to learn about power sharing were not true. Rather Mr Attoh was there as a resource person at an international seminar organised by Friedrich Erbert Foundation. "We in the NDC know that it is rather the NPP that is desperate to cling on to power at all costs that they are determined to spare no efforts with a view of creating conditions that will call for power sharing deal when they lose the elections," Mr Kwetey noted. He said the NDC provided the whole of Africa an example of model transition of power in 2000, when it presided over one of the most seamless and smoothest transfers of power, which brought the NPP to power.

Mr Kwetey said the party did not only show love for peace and national cohesion when it was in power, but also exhibited same by restraining itself and decided not to react when in 2004, the NPP illegally declared itself winner of the elections.

He said the party's position on this year's election was that every effort should be deployed to ensure that the Electoral Commission did its work well to bring about credible elections. Mr Kwetey urged the security agencies to discharge their duties with professionalism and impartiality, adding that, their foremost duty is to defend and protect the state and its people.