Accra July 17, GNA - The Convention People's Party (CPP) on Thursday urged its only Member of Parliament, Mr Freddie Blay to respect the party's democratic structures and conform to its constitutional orders. "We recognize the inalienable rights of members to freedom of expression, nevertheless, collective responsibility under our principle of democratic centralism demands that once an issue is debated and a decision is taken democratically all members must abide by it," a statement to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) signed by Dr Nii Noi Dowuona, CPP General Secretary said.

The statement which was reacting to a news item in the Evening News of July 14, headlined, "CPP not ready for presidential race," said empirical evidence world wide shows that the fortunes of parties in elections are enhanced when a Presidential candidate leads the campaign."

Mr Blay, who is the first Deputy Speaker of Parliament and the Parliamentary Action Group of the CPP, has called for collaboration with the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Presidential elections as well as contest only selected parliamentary seats in the next general election.

"The suggestion is a clear recipe for disaster, if a great party like the CPP would narrow its scope in a national election to one objective only," the statement said.

It said Mr Blay and his collaborators have no evidence to show that the CPP cannot elect a presidential candidate, who can provide an effective challenge to other presidential candidates for the 2004 presidential and parliamentary elections.

Meanwhile, the Greater Accra Regional Chairman of the party, Dr Adolf Lutterodt in an interview with the GNA described Mr Blay's position as misleading, misplaced and a wrong priority, which should be ignored. Dr Lutterodt said the CPP was ready to cooperate with all political parties in the interest of multi-party democracy but not at the expense of the basic tenets of the principles of Nkrumaist.

"We have a time tested tradition, that must be guided with caution, pride and circumspection to propel the nation forward," he said, stressing; "the CPP must be guided by past events and attempts by our detractors to kill it."

The Regional Chairman cautioned all true Nkrumaists to wake up and defend the legacy, the struggle that "our forefathers went through."