PPP's 4th National Convention takes off in Bolgatanga
The 2016 presidential candidate of the Progressive People's Party (PPP), Dr Papa Kwesi Nduom, has stated that the decentralisation policy of allowing the local people to elect their own metropolitan, municipal and district chief executives (MMDCEs) is non-negotiable and must be implemented before the 2020 general election.
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He explained that the benefits of allowing the people to elect their own MMDCEs were immeasurable and would accelerate development at the local level.
Addressing delegates to the PPP's 4th National Convention at Bolgatanga last Saturday, Dr Nduom indicated that "if the people are smart enough to elect their own parliamentarians and the President to ran the affairs of this country then they can be equally smart to elect their own MMDCEs".
According to him, many prosperous nations were reaping the huge benefits of allowing their citizens to elect their Mayors; hence, Ghana could no longer wait but to fast-track the election of MMDCEs.
"When there is a broken down borehole facility or a dam the people go to report first to the elected assembly members," he pointed out.
NPP policies
Touching on the New Patriotic Party's(NPP) free senior high school (SHS) programme and the one-district, one-factory policy, Dr Nduom was of the view that both policies were good but "they do not go far enough for the Ghanaian".
He opined that what the country needed now was a "free compulsory and continuous education from Kindergarten to the SHS level".
The PPP 2016 Presidential Candidate also suggested the need for an "organised infrastructure and industrial estates to be established with basic social amenities provided and not isolated factories".
"The PPP's commitment to building a united alternative to the ruling NPP and the National Democratic Congress(NDC) is still strong and so let us come together and offer a strong viable alternative to the two parties," he observed.
Disqualification
Dr Nduom noted that the "party will never forget the failed attempt of the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission(EC), Mrs Charlotte Osei, to take away the freedom and rights of the party to participate in the 2016 general election".
According to the 2016 PPP Presidential Candidate, although the "failed disqualification process affected the party's campaign, the party remained united, strong and surmounted the initial challenges the process posed".
Theme
The National Chairman of the PPP, Nii Allotey Brew-Hammond, who spoke on the topic "Election of MMDCEs for rapid national development", pointed out that when MMDCEs were elected it would give power to the local people, which would ultimately promote accountability and accelerated development.
He said the PPP was committed to making sure that that aspect of decentralisation was implemented.
The National Treasurer of the Party, Mr William Ograh, said the PPP had prepared its audited accounts for 2012 up to 2016 and that the party has also accounted for all its by-elections, as well as the 2012 and 2016 elections, which it participated in.
The Director of Policy of the PPP, Mr Kofi Asamoah-Siaw, said it would be an "intellectual dishonesty "for anyone to say the country should first go for a referendum to pave way for MMDCEs to be elected.
The Director of Operations of the PPP, Nana Ofori Owusu, noted that the party was well-structured and that was why it was able to advocate a number of policies such as the proposed election of MMDCEs, which the NPP government has seen the need to also adopt and implement.
The National Secretary of the Party, Mr Murtallah Mohammed, who spoke on the state of the party, intimated that the major challenge facing the party financed and entreated all the members to regularly pay their dues and to be steadfast in championing the activities of the party.
He also observed that the youth front has been very vibrant with the organisation of lectures which have made the party visible.
Women in PPP
The Second Vice-chairperson of the party, Madam Berlinda Bulley, said due to the hard work of the women in the party, the membership of women had grown from 20 to more than 300 women nationwide.
She stated that winning an election in Ghana was not an easy task, especially when the country had been polarized politically but "we as women in the PPP, are determined to support the party to win the 2020 general election".
Convention
The theme for the convention was: "Election of MMDCEs for Rapid National Development".
Delegates discussed plans for all levels of metropolitan/municipal/ district assembly elections in 2018 and beyond and also reviewed strategies for election 2020.
The convention was well-attended but conspicuously missing was the 2016 PPP Vice-Presidential Candidate, Madam Brigitte Dzogbenuku.