Accra, May 29, GNA - The National Democratic Congress (NDC) on Thursday reiterated its call for a healthy electoral competition as the nation prepares for the fifth consecutive elections under the Fourth Republic.

"We need to build bridges across the various political divides to ensure that the nation taps the vast human recourses of its people, irrespective of political persuasion for accelerated development," Mr. John Dramani Mahama, NDC running mate for Election 2008 stated during a working visit to the Ghana News Agency, Headquarters in Accra.

He said NDC would campaign, based on issues without rancour, mudslinging, intimidation and personality attacks that would create the environment for broad-based governance after the Elections.

"The next NDC Government under the presidency of Professor John Evans Atta Mills and me as the Vice President would depend on all the human resources of the nation, ensure that every Ghanaian benefits and that none should be disadvantaged in any way due to political affiliation," Mr. Mahama stated.

He commended the contributions of the Ghana News Agency towards nation building and training of media practitioners "many of whom owe their status to the GNA".

Mr Mahama noted that in spite of the operational challenges of the Agency, it had maintained its professionalism, accuracy, speed, objectivity and balance in news reporting.

"The Agency had also been very neutral and fair to all the political parties and has created the environment for each party to use its system in the propagation of their agenda as the constitution mandates," he said.

The NDC running mate lauded the role of GNA in the news market; stressing; "GNA's contribution have largely not been noticed by the general public as it exists to serve the media houses, who in turn serve the public; without GNA many of the media houses cannot operate".

He also commended the staff of the Agency, who, in spite of the challenges, have not jumped onto the bandwagon to seek greener pastures but have remained resolute to project the image of the nation.

Nana Appau Duah, GNA General Manager; Mr Boakye-Dankwa Boadi, Supervising Chief Editor; Mr Ray Ankoman Business Development Manager; Mr Kofi Baffoe, Systems Manager; Mr Felix Forson, Administrative Manager and Mr Emmanuel Tagoe, Principal Accountant all joined in the deliberation with Mr Mahama on developments in the Agency. Nana Appau Duah appealed to politicians to play the political game with maturity, focus on issues and desist from personality attacks. He pledged that GNA would continue to give them coverage as they criss-cross the country campaigning and that, "we would continue to be fair, objective, and factual."

Mr Mahama as part of the visit also interacted with staffs in the newsroom and the technical section and announced that he would begin a nine-day tour of Northern part of the country.