Mahama to name running mate in September

Accra, Aug. 26, GNA - Dr. Edward Nasigrie Mahama, flag bearer of the People's National Convention (PNC), on Tuesday announced that he would name his running mate in September and said the his choice would come from southern Ghana. He said his running mate would be selected from the Brong Ahafo, Volta, Greater Accra or Ashanti regions to balance the political landscape as these four regions had been left out of mainstream political activity for Election 2008.

The PNC flag bearer told the Ghana News Agency in an interview that, "in our party we view leadership as the servant of the people and my running mate should have the temperament, ability to listen and complement the President in all spheres of governorship." He said: "My selection of a running mate is being guided by my declared intention to form a cabinet with 50 per cent gender sensitivity. The nation is ripe for a woman to be at the helm of political leadership."

Dr Mahama said voting in Election 2008 should focus on issues and the credibility of leadership instead of merely the savour of a political party, empty promises, emotional gymnastics and fanfare. He urged the electorate and the media to scrutinize all the flag bearers objectively on their ability to deliver, personality credentials and accomplishments, the genuineness of their messages and their international credibility.

"We should be careful about leaders with doubtful character, fraudulent and criminal image in the mind of right thinking people. Ghana deserves a leader who would project the image of the nation among the community of nations," he said.

On the recent poll conducted by the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) which placed the PNC a distant fourth, Dr. Mahama said: "I am encouraged by the result of the poll as it calls for hard work and reveals that the PNC has made progress in projecting issues based politics in the country. What is left is to link the party with the projection."

The NCCE survey statistics indicated that out of sample size of 5,520 respondents, 2,360 representing 42.9 per cent supported the main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) to win the December general elections.

The New Patriotic Party was rated second with 2,341 respondents, representing 42.6 per cent. The Convention People's Party picked the third spot with 345 respondents representing 6.3 per cent and the PNC was rated fourth with only 60 respondents representing 1.1 per cent. Dr. Mahama said: "We are the only party that has focused on the thematic areas that the Ghanaian electorate are calling for - education, health care, agriculture, women and children, economy, youth development, national security, corruption, housing and social welfare."

He said they needed to make more copies of their manifesto available to the people and propagandists who say that "even though we have a fine message we cannot win the elections". "We are capable of winning the election and offer good leadership," Dr Mahama said.

He said the PNC was offering Ghanaians leadership focusing on national agenda instead of personality agenda. "Other flag bearers just copy our manifesto and our message and stand at the rooftops and announce it as their own, this is deceptive politics. We marketed the National Health Insurance, school feeding programme and the like. They hijack it without acknowledging its origin. "Now we have talked about one computer to each child, university in each region and much more human centred policies. Our opponents have picked them and are now moving around with these issues." He called on the electorate to vote for a PNC-led government for real change in the fortune of national development.

"They (NPP) have not been able to move the country forward in the past eight years when they assumed leadership with fresh men. Now with tired hands, it would a political disaster to renew their mandate." Dr. Mahama said Ghana and Africa needed fresh leaders with courage, determination, track record of accomplishment, and clean image to stand up and be counted within the community of international leadership without looking behind. 26 Aug. 08