General News of Saturday, 11 September 2010

Source: Daily Guide

Cracks in NDC, New party formed

A NEW political grouping, Real Democratic Patriots Party (RDPP), has emerged from the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), with its interim headquarters in the Brong Ahafo regional capital, Sunyani.

Members of the new party, mainly aggrieved supporters of the NDC, said they believed in the Rawlings ideology, though the Rawlingses were not linked to the formation of the party.

The National Coordinator of the newly-launched RDPP, Raphael Cubagee, a former Brong Ahafo Regional Executive Member of the NDC who recently filed for a floating status to leave the NDC, following the ill-treatment he had been subjected to by some high-profile members of the ruling party, disclosed to DAILY GUIDE that the RDPP had the support of the masses, especially the rank and file of the NDC whose hopes had been shattered by the Mills administration.

The RDPP’s Motto is: “Together We Build; Together We Enjoy”, signifying that the party would create an equal and fair platform for all Ghanaians in acquiring and sharing of the national cake when it assumes power. Its symbol is the camel. The National Coordinator explained that RDPP was poised to demonstrate “real and proper” democracy in Ghanaian politics.

He said even though the party is an offshoot of the NDC, its doors are open to members of the NPP who feel disappointed by their leaders, hence the name ‘Real Democratic Patriots Party’.

Mr. Cubagee told DAILY GUIDE that a lot of bigwigs in the NDC from all parts of the country had pledged their support for the RDPP, stressing, “There are many others abroad who are behind us.”

He however declined to mention names of the founding fathers of the new party who had now quit the NDC to join the new family.

He said it was too early to mention names because those people would be targets of the NDC’s negative and vicious propaganda and violence.

The former outspoken NDC stalwart disclosed that the formation of the RDPP stemmed out of the current state of the NDC which had been divided and hijacked by a small group of self-centered people who do not want others to also operate to ensure the realization of the ‘Better Ghana’ agenda.

According to him, the RDPP would pull surprises on the political landscape in Ghana.

He therefore called on Ghanaians to embrace it, so it would wrest power from the NDC which had failed Ghanaians.

Meanwhile, officials of the Brong Ahafo regional branch of the ruling party remain tightlipped over the issue as the news has taken them by storm.

DAILY GUIDE learnt that some of the regional and constituency executive members who felt neglected by the Mills government have so far signed up for the RDPP.