General News of Saturday, 7 April 2012

Source: GNA

Election 2012: period for electoral paradigm shift – CPP

The rejuvenated Convention People’s Party (CPP) on Friday described Election 2012 'as the period for electoral paradigm shift to redeem the country from antagonistic, egocentric politicians.'

Mr Bright Akwetey, a CPP flagbearer aspirant, told the Ghana News Agency in an interview that: “The moment of truth is here for Ghanaians to marshal the electoral courage and reject both the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

“It is not enough for us to speak against politics of insult, victimization, personality attacks, electoral violence and other anti-democratic tendencies, which have been the campaign trade of the NDC and NPP.

“We must demonstrate our abhorrence through an electoral paradigm shift by voting massively for the CPP, we must send a loud protest vote to the NPP and NDC leadership that Ghanaians stand for unity and detest divisive politics”.

Mr Akwetey, a lawyer, noted that any vote for the NDC or NPP in Election 2012 is a tacit endorsement of politics of violence, insult, electoral violence, corruption, tribalism, and economic decadency.

He said the advancement of multi-party democracy and electoral campaigns are not akin to a contest of ‘propaganda, deceit, and insults’ but about demonstrating the capability to transform the economy, develop human centred-policies and achieve accelerated development.

Mr Akwetey said both the NDC and NPP had abused the opportunity Ghanaians gave them to rule the country…‘they both twisted governance to mean job for the boys they don’t deserve any opportunity again’.

He refuted the assertion that: ‘a vote for CPP is a waste of vote’, stressing that “that might be true some years ago, but now …a vote for CPP is vote for transformation, a vote for economic recovery, a vote for peace’.

Meanwhile Nii Armah Akomfrah, CPP Director of Communication, said the party has developed operational machinery to win 15 parliamentary seats in the Greater Accra Region in the general election.

He said: “We are marshalling the winning charisma of our Chairperson, Ms Samia Yaba Nkrumah and injecting our rank and file with the possibility syndrome to contest seats and votes for CPP candidates.

“A vote for CPP in Election 2012 will not be a waste but an affirmation of change, endorsement of the electoral paradigm shift and redemption of Ghana from political opportunists.”**