The Progressive People’s Party (PPP) has expressed reservations about comments by a Programmes Officer of the Centre for Democrat

A release signed by the party’s National Secretary, Kofi Asamoah-Siaw, stated that, “The Progressive People’s Party (PPP) does not accept the call by CDD to concentrate on winning parliamentary seats in the 2012 elections…”

The PPP is barred from participating in the Institute of Economic Affairs’ (IEA’s) Presidential debates dubbed Encounter with the Nation, because it is a new party without seats in Parliament, and so organised its own version in Accra.

Speaking shortly after the PPP standard bearer, Dr. Papa Kwesi Nduom, had spoken at the party’s Encounter with Nation in Accra on Tuesday, Mr. Abrampah asserted that statistics from previous elections organised in the country point to the fact that the PPP as a minor political party stood no chance of winning the presidential polls.

“If you go through the analysis, you will realise that over the years, since we started the Fourth Republic, minor parties put together have not performed anything beyond [winning] 15 per cent [of votes in the presidential polls.] It means that the NDC and the NPP have been able to establish a constituency, [which] put together will bring them around 33, 34 percent [of votes] in every election,” Mr. Abrampah told the Accra-based radio station, Citi FM.

In its release, the PPP dismissed the suggestion it belongs to the category of “minor parties,” and strongly affirmed that the party stands the chance of winning the presidential election in December.

“In an election with three competitive flag bearers, John Mahama, Nana Akufo-Addo and Dr. Papa Kwesi Nduom, the electoral game in Ghana has changed. Only 34% of the vote is needed to be the leading party in the first round and the PPP is competing to win at the presidential level,” Asamoah-Siaw stated.

Even though Ghanaians have been voting for some political parties in the past, there is no basis for anybody to conclude that the next elections would be won by those parties simply because they have won previous elections, he explained.

Please find below the full statement from the PPP:

The Progressive People’s Party (PPP) does not accept the call by the CDD to concentrate on winning parliamentary seats in the 2012 elections. In an election with three competitive flag bearers, John Mahama, Nana Akufo-Addo and Dr. Papa Kwesi Nduom, the electoral game in Ghana has changed. Only 34% of the vote is needed to be the leading party in the first round and the PPP is competing to win at the Presidential level.

Speaking shortly after the PPP’s Encounter, an official of the CDD, Mr. Paul Abrampah Mensah, stated that “If you go through the analysis, you will realize that over the years since we started the Fourth Republic, minor parties put together have not performed anything beyond 15 per cent. It means that the NDC and the NPP have been able to establish a constituency put together will bring them around 33, 34 percent in every election”, he said.

The PPP would like to submit that we do not belong to the belittled category of “minor parties”.

Even though Ghanaians have been voting for some political parties in the past, there is no basis for anybody to conclude that the next elections would be won by those parties simply because they have won elections before. The PPP did not take part in the 2008 elections and therefore those results cannot be said to be reflective of the current trends in voting.

The vast majority of our population is under 35 years old. We have millions of young men and women desperate to get better healthcare, education and jobs and we have over two million first time voters. These are the realities that will determine the results of the 2012 elections and not some past glories experienced by the so-called big parties.

Big parties have not delivered quality leadership.  Competent, incorruptible leadership will remain the greatest consideration of the Ghanaian voter in this year’s elections. In this respect, the PPP is not just a major party but one that stands tall amongst all competitors.

Yes, the PPP will need representation in Parliament in order to pursue our progressive reforms to ensure strict separation of powers, the election of District Chief Executives and the separation of the office of the Attorney-General’s Department from the Ministry of Justice. But our presence or otherwise in parliament should not be used as the basis for assessing our chances in the presidential race. Such criteria may have been used in the past; but there is NO reason for this practice to continue.

Circumstances have changed. The political dynamics of this country have also changed, and therefore our societal institutions must change their lenses for political analysis.

This country is led by a President whose election is not based on how many seats [his or her party] has in Parliament.  Indeed, the President does not need to have even one seat in Parliament to be elected. This feature of the Constitution safeguards the people from tyranny of the majority.

The Constitution empowers the Republic to choose their leadership not based on the leader of the most popular party, but the leader best equipped to bring positive, progressive change every citizen can feel.

The Progressive People’s Party is a serious political party working to win the mandate of the people. We have worked tirelessly to organize a credible, united, disciplined political party with a clear specific platform for accelerated change in Ghana.

We are Awake!

Signed:
Kofi Asamoah-Siaw
National Secretary
Progressive People’s Party.