Grand Coalition to present one Presidential Candidate

Accra, Sept. 18, GNA - The Grand Coalition, made up of the People's National Convention (PNC), Great Consolidated People's Party (GCPP) and the EGLE Party, said on Thursday that it would present one presidential candidate in the 2004 general election.
Similarly, the Coalition would field one parliamentary candidate for the election in each constituency depending on the respective strength of the parties in the area.
Mr Dan Lartey, Chairman of the Coalition, told a press conference that the three parties decided to come together to provide appropriate governance and to save the country from ruin.
"Coalition government will be the new way of life to ensure people's well being, stop the selfishness and unfortunate situation of leaders thinking of what they should have instead of what to give out."
Mr Lartey said although the parties in the coalition would not lose their identity, they would be guided by unity of purpose in their quest to change the deplorable economic situation the country currently finds itself in.
"To me, ideology is unimportant. The only thing will be to deliver according to what the people need and not ideology."
Dr Edward Mahama, the Leader of the PNC, said the Grand Coalition is not interested in cheap and populist politics that promises more than it could deliver.
"Every citizen shall be called to make sacrifices so as to get our nation out of its current mess that gets worse with the passing of each day."
He called on the electorate to vote for an alternative team that was committed to achieving real results in the 2004 elections. Dr Mahama said on-going consultations with some important personalities of other political parties looked very promising in increasing their number.
He said the Grand Coalition would pursue a realistic national self-reliance policy, taking into cognisance the rapid pace of globalisation of the world economy.
Equal attention would also be paid to reducing corruption, patronage, sycophancy, at the national, regional and all other subordinate levels.