Why waste your vote on others

IF NDUOM IS BEST… *

STORY: SELORM ATUTORNU

The national chairman of the Progressive People's Party (PPP) has launched a blistering attack on those telling Ghanaians that a vote for the PPP will be wasted.

Instead, NiiAllottey Brew-Hammond asked Ghanaians not to exercise their franchise on those political parties that have disappointed them in the 4th Republic.

This was stated in a release issued at the week-end and signed by the party’s Communications Director, Richmond Keelson.

Mr. Brew-Hammond, according to the statement, in particular wants Ghanaians to look at the track record of the NDC in government and reject them soundly on 7th December and rather vote for the PPP.

It continued that at the PPP’s maiden Encounter with the nation last Tuesday, the party Chair made a strong case for the unequalled qualification of his flag bearer saying that, "In the opinion of the PPP, when these issues are brought to bear on the electorate, they will be able to make informed choices and invariably serve as a watershed of refined governance system that can be equated with some of the best practices elsewhere.

He added that many people have told admitted that Dr. Nduom is the best among the candidates but are still undecided in whether to vote for him or not…“We are convinced that if everyone who believes that Dr. Nduom is the best votes for him, he will win the 2012 election. Your vote will make a difference.”

The National Chairman was not amused that the doors to the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) debates have been shut to the PPP and some other political parties, because as the ground rules of the IEA debates stipulate, the PPP has no representation in parliament and so cannot be a part of it. Mr. Brew Hammond against this backdrop therefore explained that as a serious political party, the PPP thought it right to find an alternative platform to get its message across to the good people of Ghana and also applauded those who have given the PPP platform so far: including WILDAF, GNAT, the Ghana Employers Association and the Ghana Youth Forum.

He minced no words by restating the party’s position on these rules that the strength of political parties or otherwise should be determined by the electoral laws that set up political parties: “After all, we can concentrate all our energies in one or two constituencies and win a seat in parliament but that may not necessarily make us a national party."

Since the birth of the Progressive People’s Party on February 25th this year, the party has worked hard to veer off of politics of insults and vilification to a more refined campaign of ideas and solutions which, in the party's opinion, has been missing in our body-politic since the inception of the 4th Republic.

The PPP believes our dear nation has reached a stage where elections, particularly that of the president, should not be considered just as a four-yearly routine exercise without recourse to the relevance of messages being put across by other contesting parties.

The PPP is also of the conviction that this year’s election should be a clear departure from the past and dwell more on issues where competence, incorruptibility and capabilities should be the hallmark of campaign messages of parties and their presidential candidates. Pix: NiiAllottey Brew-Hammond, PPP National Chairman