Accra Jan. 06, GNA - The Convention People's Party (CPP) on Friday called for a judicial investigations into allegations of graft and corruption said to have been made by Mr Haruna Esseku, former National Chairman of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) against the presidency. "The Enquirer", an Accra base newspaper serialised alleged recorded utterances of Mr Esseku containing disclosures of graft and corruption involving President John Agyekum Kufuor.

Addressing a press conference dubbed: "A State of the Nation Address in Commemoration of the 56th Anniversary of the Declaration of Positive Action," Dr Edmund N. Delle, Chairman and Leader of the CPP described the allegation as a "disturbing revelations".

He said the NPP had sought to portray the matter as internal to the Party as they sought to engage in semantics over words claiming Mr Esseku never used the word "kickbacks".

"They are obsessed with defending the indefensible and are prepared to sell their souls to cover up acts of dishonesty." The CPP Chairman said the party does not believe that this is an internal matter for the NPP.

"It is the responsibility of all Ghanaians to know the truth or otherwise of these allegations.

"Political leadership, in particular, has a huge responsibility under our current political dispensation to show leadership and maintain decorum in the political process," he said.

Dr. Delle also called on the Electoral Commission and all democracy loving people to investigate the second allegations allegedly made by Mr. Lord Commey, National Organiser of the NPP of the existence of Electoral Thugs with the ability to destabilise any electoral process. He said it was crucially important for the electoral process to be seen to have integrity and credibility and thus the disclosure was a dent on the electoral process.

He said Ghanaians needed to restore the faith of key players and stakeholders in the political process in the electoral process. The CPP believes that democracy is not just about political rights or voting every four years. Democracy is also about social and economic rights.

Dr Delle said it was in that regard that social and economic rights should not be predicated on political rights, nor should the attainment of political rights be a condition for the achievement of social and economic rights.

"We must strive to achieve political, social and economic rights concurrently."

Dr Delle called for broadening and deepening the frontiers of the democratic practice as the only means of sustaining the democratic journey the country has so far travelled since 1992. The CPP also called for the withdrawal the Representation of the People (Amendment) Bill, stressing that every citizen of Ghana of 18 years or above, including Ghanaians resident abroad, have the right to register and vote.

"The Bill is therefore unnecessary, unworkable, burdensome, divisive, and likely to be a drain on scarce national resources. We believe that it is not too late for the government to withdraw the Bill." 06 Jan. 06