Reform Movement to contest 2000 elections

Accra (Graeter Accra), 25 Jan.'99 -

The Reform Movement (RM) today announced its formal break away from the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and declared it will contest the next general elections and form the government.

Speaking at a press conference in Accra, Mr. Goosie Tanoh, member of the National Working Committee of the movement said the RM will form a party after completing its groundwork and contest the 2000 elections.

"Neither the NDC nor the NPP (New Patriotic Party) should hope to form the government'' after that election.

As part of the preparation, the RM will hold a congress at the University of Ghana, on February four, which will be attended by delegates from all over the country.

The congress will discuss the "Reform Charter" which will become the working document of the movement.

Mr Tanoh said the RM is now registered with the Registrar General as a company limited by guarantee to enable it to operate as a legal entity outside the National Democratic Congress (NDC).

"The struggle to reform the NDC is a closed chapter" since the leadership of that party rendered fundamental reform impossible.

He said the RM would operate at two levels -- one to run as a non-partisan political movement to act as a referee in the Ghanaian political arena and the second, to develop into a political party.

"The RM is establishing cells in all 20,000 polling stations in the country" where its charter will be studied and organisational work will be done at the grassroots.

"Through these cells and our constituency regional and national structures, we will advocate good governance at all levels."

Mr Tanoh said "we will demand that leadership becomes and remains responsive to the needs of the ordinary people" and for them to be able "to demystify policy management" about the national economy which is "just the sum of the economic decisions and actions of ordinary Ghanaians".

He said it is important to admit that it is only through hard work, transparency, and leadership that emanates from the grassroots that, the country could be taken out of the woods.

The press conference paraded some of the leading lights of the movement, among whom were Mr Peter Kpordugbe, former Director of the National Service Secretariat, Mr Kyeretwie Opoku and Mr Alfred Agbesi, both lawyers and members of the National Working Committee.