Accra, Jan 29, The People's Convention Party (PCP) and the National Convention Party (NCP) today announced their coming together to form the Convention People's Party (CPP). "By this merger, .....the two parties are irreversibly fused into one political party to be called the CPP," Alhaji Asuma Banda, Interim National Chairman of the new party said. The symbol of the party is the red cockerel and its motto: "Forward With The People," Alhaji Banda told a press conference in Accra. On the dais with Alhaji Banda was Mr Kow Nkensen Arkaah, Vice President, and other CPP stalwarts including, Nana Okutwer Bekoe, and Mr P.K.K. Quaidoo. The symbol and the red, white and green colours of the party, are the same as the defunct CPP which, under the late Dr Kwame Nkrumah, led Ghana to indpendence in 1957.

The PCP, last month, won a legal tussle to use the name CPP which had been banned since 1966. The Attorney General has lodged an appeal against the ruling. "With this merger, .... we appeal to all our teeming supporters, sympathizers and well wishers, wherever they may be, to unite and rally behind the reborn CPP. "We, who belong to this Party, will forever consider Dr Kwame Nkrumah as our towering hero and statesman of all times.... We state with pride that we belong to the Nkrumahist tradition," Alhaji Banda said. Ahaji Banda said the CPP will form harmonious links with all other political traditions, in the interest of the nation's evelopment. He said when voted into power, the party's immediate objective will be to stabilize and broaden the resource base of the "rather shaky economy."

Alhaji Banda said the party will vigorously pursue a policy of diversification and increase productivity in the agricultural sector. He said the party will soon come out with a comprehensive outline of plans and programme on health, employment, education and housing. Substantive executives of the party will be chosen at a National Congress to be held later in the year. For now, Mr T. K. Appiah, Chairman of the former NCP, will act as Interim Vice Chairman. Vice President Arkaah, is a member of the new party's Steering Committee. At one stage, Party supporters who had filled the conference hall of the the Greater Accra Centre for National Culture shouted "sabotage" when the power supply to the centre went off. The function was held up for about ten minutes until a generator was hired. Power was restored about 30 minutes later.