Reform Movement denies negotiations with NDC

Accra (Greater Accra), 1 March '99 -

The national working committee of the Reform Movement(RM) on Sunday said that it is not engaged in any negotiations with the National Democratic Congress (NDC) as indicated in a press statement issued by Alhaji Huudu Yahya, NDC General Secretary, last week. The statement said representatives of the NDC and the NDC Reform Group had concluded negotiations regarding issues paramount to the re- organisation and internal workings of the NDC. The statement, which created the impression that the RM and the NDC were working at uniting again, caused a cross-section of the public to believe that the whole idea of the RM was an NDC ploy to sway their political opponents. A counter-statement issued by the RM today said "the RM remains an independent political organisation and we are in the process of forming a political party to contest the 2000 elections as an independent political party. "Next week, we will start publishing lists of our interim regional and constituency working committees to facilitate public contact as part of our commitment to the ideals of our February National Congress," it added. The statement said that the RM has no interest in the re- organisation and internal workings of the NDC, adding that the so-called NDC Reform Group have nothing to do with the registered RM. It said the RM has reason to believe that the fuss about NDC Reform group negotiation was part of an NDC campaign to misinform, confuse and demoralise Ghanaians and to discredit the leadership of the RM. "We call on Alhaji Yahya to name the individual representatives of the so-called NDC Reform Group and publish the agenda on which their alleged discussions have been made."