General News of Thursday, 5 September 2002

Source:  

PNC To Ensure NPPs Defeat in 2004

....Not Ready For Unity Talks


The People's National Convention (PNC) on Thursday said the political environment is not conducive for the beginning of talks intended for alliance or merger with any of the political parties for the 2004 general election.

The party said "The internal political wrangling within the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Convention People's Party (CPP) and other minority parties were not good signals for the PNC to consider any serious political business and negotiations with”. The PNC leader, Dr Edward Mahama told the Ghana News Agency in an interview in Accra that periods after general election are normally used to assess the electoral systems, behavioural changes of the electorate if any, weakness of a party, its strengths and opportunities to map-up strategies to win the next elections.

Dr Mahama said most of the political parties now seem to be using the period for unnecessary infighting, blackmailing and undermining party leaderships, leading to break down of party discipline and cohesion necessary for building up a strong and viable party to win elections. He noted that PNC is a serious minded political party with an alternative concept of "A New Ghana Philosophy" which focuses on building up a holistic system with a humane policy for the citizenry.

The PNC Leader however maintained that the party would co-operate with all political parties for good governance and also ensure that the New Patriotic Party government was defeated in the next elections. Dr Mahama said: "Ghanaians deserved a better change and not just change, we succeeded in changing a worn-out party in 2000, only to implant a-lack-of-focus, self-centred and property owning party to the detriment of the people."