Differences in NDC are a healthy sign

Accra, Nov 24, GNA - Mr. Antwi Boasiako-Sekyere, an aspiring General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has described as a healthy development, differences of opinion within the party.

He said as a mass political organization, differences in opinion were very normal, adding that it was demonstrative of the party's strong belief in democracy.

Mr Boasiako-Sekyere said this in Accra on Thursday, when he launched his campaign to declare his intention to contest as the General Secretary of the NDC at the party's National Delegates Congress scheduled for December 21 to 2005.

He said he was however, confident of his capabilities when it came to mobilizing the party towards the 2008 election victory. "Although the NPP has lost the goodwill of Ghanaians, victory is not automatic for the NDC," he said.

The aspiring NDC General Secretary said there was the need for the party to re-access itself and "go back to the basics". Commenting on the likelihood that he may not be the choice of Former President Jerry John Rawlings, Founder of the party, he said democracy permitted people to have different choices, which made it very normal for anybody to differ with the party's founder.

Mr Boasiako-Sekyere said although the Former President was well respected and accepted by all as the founding Father of the NDC, they were not bound to agree with every decision of his. He said what was most important to note was that the congress and not any individual or group was going to determine who was to become the party's General Secretary as well as other major decisions concerning the party.

"Otherwise there would be no use describing the party with the word democratic," he said.

The aspiring General Secretary said the NDC was born out of a revolution and had grown since then, adding that some of the experiences of the party were just signs of its growth into a stronger and more united party.

He said the NDC could only beat the NPP in the 2008 election with superior mobilization and organization, saying, "This is where I come in handy."

Mr Boasiako-Sekyere who obtained his first Degree from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in 1979 was once appointed as Deputy Eastern Regional Minister and was also awarded a scholarship by the then NDC government in 1998 to study in the United Kingdom at the Masters level.