NPP Condemns "March for Survival":

... Police, NDC Agree On Route ..
The General Secretary of the NPP, Mr Dan Botwe says the planned demonstration by the NDC tomorrow is not justified. He said instead of soberly reflecting on the 20 million dollars of the tax payers' money wasted on the Quality Grain project, they have rather decided to organise a demonstration without any justification.

Mr Botwe who was addressing an Eastern Regional NPP rally at Begoro in the Fanteakwa District on said the money given to Renee Cotton, despite several warnings about her inability to handle the project could have provided boreholes to many rural communities.

Mr Botwe declared that the NPP is aimed at winning 140 out of the 200 parliamentary seats in the 2004 general elections. The General Secretary listed the Fanteakwa seat as one of the seats saying that as a bastion of the UP tradition from which the NPP developed, the constituency should not be in the NDC power anymore.

The Eastern Regional Minister, Dr Francis Osafo-Mensah, pledged the determination of the NPP to capture the Fanteakwa seat among the five others in the region under the NDC in order to give the party more power in pursuing developments in the region. He denied that victories in the by-elections were due to its exploitation of incumbency, saying it is rather because the NDC stole the previous verdicts in 1992 and 1996 while in power.

The Parliamentary Majority Leader, Mr Eugene Owusu Agyapong denied accusations leveled against the government by some NDC functionaries over the verdict of the Quality Grain case, and reminded them that it was the NDC-dominated Parliament, which passed the law under which the former Ministers were convicted. He said if they now find it a bad law, they can table a motion for its review.

He also dismissed the fears that the NPP by-election victories could turn the country into a one-party state, saying that if this should happen then it will not be the fault of the NPP but the blame should go to the opposition parties for their lack of dynamism to win the electorate to their side.

Police, NDC Agree On Route

Leaders of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the police administration have reached a compromise on routes for Tuesday’s demonstration by the party. The party will start the demonstration from the Kwame Nkrumah Circle through certain undisclosed streets of Accra and finish at the Accra Hearts of Oak Park near the Arts Centre.
The meeting became necessary after the Greater Regional Police command suggested a route change for the demonstrations dubbed ''March For survival''.
NDC leader and flagbearer of the party, Prof. John Atta Mills told Joy FM that feedback from the meeting was successful. He assured supporters that the Chairman of the party, Dr. Obed Asamoah will join in the demonstration but dispelled rumours that the party was collaborating with the GPRTU to convey participants to join the March.
Professor Mills expressed concern about anti-demonstration propaganda being carried out in certain parts of Accra to discourage people from participating in the march.
''This is supposed to be a peaceful demonstration but propaganda vans are going round telling people not to attend the demonstration because it is going to be bloody and so they should not come out to join''.
He did not disclose those carrying out the propaganda but said he has information that vans are going round misinforming people. ''We will not tolerate this. A lot of Ghanaians are suffering A lot of Ghanaians cannot make ends meet …As opposition we think it is important that we draw attention to the plight of the ordinary Ghanaian''.
Asked whether he is spearheading the demonstration because of reports that former President Rawlings is unhappy with his performance so far, Prof Mills laughed and said ''they can draw their own conclusions because this is the right time to do it''.