NPP to unveil manifesto in August, Kufuor

London (UK) - The New Patriotic Party (NPP) will unveil its 2000 manifesto in Accra next month, Mr John Agyekum Kufuor, Presidential candidate of the party told a rally in London on Sunday.

Mr Kufuor who showed a copy of the manifesto to the rally said it contains the solutions to the problems facing the country adding that it had been prepared with the welfare of people as its central piece.

Addressing the rally as part of his tour of the United Kingdom, Mr Kufuor denied that the party did not have a manifesto in 1996, saying they could not launch it because of the constraints of the time.

He said stabilizing the cedi will be central to the NPP's economic policy since its continued fall is making Ghanaians to lose confidence in it as a veritable means of exchange.

"We will establish a high-powered apolitical currency board, empowered to consult at the highest level, both internally and externally, and charge them to prepare a programme that will ensure the stabilisation of the cedi within a limited time frame.

"The continued depreciation of the cedi has repelled investment as it cannot be relied upon to generate real profits and has served as a disincentive to saving because it quickly loses it value, which defeats the purpose of saving.

"The continued downslide of the cedi is a measure of how badly the economy has been run down by the ruling government," Mr Kufuor said to cheers from the crowd.

He said the NPP will explore all avenues to turn around the economy and will operate with the philosophy of a 'corporate Ghana' where the national interest rather than partisan interest will be the guiding principle.

"We have to move together as a nation. We have to make all Ghanaians feel that they are part of the nation. We will not encourage divisiveness and self-saving intrests which only go to benefit supporters of a single party."

Mr Kufuor said mechanization agriculture to ensure that less difficult but more efficient means of production are adopted, and the strengthening of the manufacturing base will be central in the NPP's economy policy.

"These are important because the stabilisation of the cedi and the growth of the economy is underpinned by increased agricultural produce and a strong manufacturing base that can add value to what is produced.

"There is no point in continuing with our old farming practices when year after year, they fail to bring the desired results.

"Cote d'Ivoire, which has a similar vegetation as ours was able to earn more from cocoa than we did year, despite the falling world prices, because they were able to produce more through improved methods of cultivation.

"We import other foodstuffs from them because they have been able to mechanise their agricultural practices while their manufactured products are of competitive quality because the private sector has been accorded its right of place in the economy.

"We can do the same in Ghana. The NPP will encourage Ghanaian enterprise and not discourage them. We will explore other avenues of earning more income and stop the over- dependence on the export of raw cocoa beans as the country's major financier," Mr Kufuor said.

He said since Ghanaians abroad contribute a lot to the economy they should be allowed to vote as is done other West African countries like Mali.

Mr Hackman Owusu-Agyeman, Member of Parliament for New Juaben North, said the NPP will contest the elections on issues and will not be dragged into insults or character assassination.

In their bid to win power, the NPP is training polling station agents to ensure that no foul play takes place on voting day, he said, warning that the NPP will resist any acts of intimidation on an equal footing.

"The current peace in the country is because the opposition parties do not believe in violence as is happening in other countries, but if we are pushed to the wall through any acts of harassment or intimidation of our supporters, we will meet it squarely," Mr Owusu-Agyeman said.

Mr Felix Owusu Adjepong, Member of Parliament for Akim Swedru, said although Ghanaians are looking for change they want somebody who can help to solve the problems facing the country and not one who will continue with the old ways of doing things.

"Ghanaians want a change for the better and they see this in Mr Kufuor and the NPP," he said and called for financial assistance from the supporters to help in the campaign.