UK/Ireland NDC criticises NPP government

The United Kingdom (UK) and Ireland branch of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) says after New Patriotic Party (NPP) government’s first year in office, it has become clear that it has no cures for the plight of Ghanaians and developing countries.

It said the election promises of the NPP have only turned out to be "the cries of a desperate group of people for power without any substance" and criticised what it described as the frequent visits of President Kufour outside since he assumed power.

A statement signed by Kwesi Dzirasa, secretary, said the NDC government stabilised the cedi for a period, only to have it thwarted by external factors outside their control, notably the "vast increase" in the price of crude oil and the reduced price for cocoa and gold.

The statement noted that the macro economic position had improved greatly since then with the constant drop in oil prices, stable cocoa price and an increase in gold price, which had benefited the present administration.

"Depressed expenditure on capital projects and development," had also helped the macro economic position, but with an adverse effect on contractors and their employees.

The NPP government's economic policy had had a "crippling effect" on Ghanaians, it said adding that, "our remittances to Ghana have increased substantially to alleviate the hardship caused by the triple blows of the rise in prices of water, electricity and fuel."

Since the NPP was aware of Ghana's debts, it should not blame the state of the economy for not meeting the party's election promises such as reducing levies and taxes, it stated.

"It does not bode well when an environment is created, which causes nurseries and day care centres to close down based on a perceived political affiliation," it said, adding that, more of such centres are required due to an ever increasing young population.

It said the President and other government officials would understand the depth in the rise in armed robberies if they stayed home more often and spent less time harassing and intimidating NDC sympathisers and functionaries.

The branch expressed concern about incidents such as the assault of two NDC supporters during the Tamale Peoples' Assembly and the treatment meted out of the wife of Professor John Atta Mills, former Vice President by BNI officials. It described the explanation for the action at the former Vice President's house as "porous" and pleaded with President Kufour to address the Situation.

The branch advised that "political agendas" should be put aside in the issue of reconciliation. "In the spirit of reconciliation one must always start with oneself in order to demonstrate a transparency and a real desire to unite regardless of whether there has been any blames, faults or issue attributable to you."

It called on the government to include the period of 1969 to 1972 and said "to do anything otherwise is to declare from the onset that you wish to reconcile on your terms and not that of the nation."

The statement commended the stability in the country, which had demonstrated to the rest of the world that democracy was alive in Ghana, and described it as an accomplishment by the NDC.

The statement said contrary to statements "concocting serious motives to the NDC," Ex-President Rawlings handed over power to the NPP government in an unprecedented manner. Unlike the NPP, the NDC promised and delivered, saying, the NDC would form a formidable government in 2004 after the next general elections, it added.