Accra, June 17, GNA- The National Democratic Congress (NDC) on Monday, extended its best wishes to all those who continue to support the party, both in and out of government, promising that, it has them at heart and would always cherish their interests and welfare and that of the nation.

A statement signed by Ms Hannah Tetteh, Communications Director of the party to mark the 16th Anniversary of the NDC said, it had left a legacy by handing over power peacefully following the December 2000 elections.

"President Rawlings peacefully handed over to President Kufuor and an orderly transition process to the new government took place. "This was the legacy of a party that is "Always for People, Always for Development", the statement said.

It said 16 years ago on June 10, 1992 the NDC was founded to contest elections that ushered Ghana into the Fourth Republic. "The party, under its first National Chairman, Alhaji Issifu Ali-and with former President Rawlings as its first Presidential candidate and Founder, decisively won the 1992 elections and, subsequently, the 1996 elections."

The statement said "as the December 2008 elections approach, the NDC, under Professor John Evans Atta Mills, is preparing to resume the reins of government and to take Ghana to new heights. "The NDC is ready to solve decisively, the energy crisis and to ensure that the benefits that Ghana can obtain from the blessing of having significant production of oil and gas in the future would be fairly distributed.

"The NDC is determined to bring to an end the shame of massive cocaine trafficking, which has destroyed the image of the country internationally and threatens the future of many of our youth and even some older people", it said.

"With the help of the Almighty, what the locusts have eaten from the wealth of our nation these last seven years would be restored under the next NDC administration."

The statement pledged the NDC preparedness to ensure democracy thrived in Ghana saying, "in this election year we are firmly committed to ensuring that we play our part in safeguarding the democratic process, and will use all legal and legitimate means at our disposal to make sure that the electoral process is credible, free, fair and transparent and that the will of the Ghanaian people prevails." It said the NDC would work with Ghanaians to create "A BETTER GHANA" that would cater for the well-being of all its citizens, not only today but for generations to come.

The statement recalled that the NDC "brought together people from different traditions in Ghana's political history: people from the Nkrumaist tradition, people from the Danquah-Busia tradition, people from the UNC, and independents, all committed to ensuring that the political and economic recovery that Ghana had achieved under the Government of the Provisional National Defence Council, PNDC, would be sustained under the new democratic Constitution that the PNDC bequeathed to the country.

The NDC was a social democratic party with a focus on the welfare of Ghanaians as a whole and not on the wealthy and privileged few. The NDC ensured the deepening of the democratic process in Ghana and established key institutions that were essential under the new Constitution for the development of democracy, including the District Assemblies, the National Commission for Civic Education, the Electoral Commission, the Commission of Human Rights and Administrative Justice. "Also, a vibrant Parliament, under the leadership of the late Justice D.F. Annan as Speaker".

The NDC put in place the necessary legislation for the creation of an environment where the media could flourish, enabling numerous FM radio stations and newspapers to be established.

The statement said, "The NDC has continued to act as a responsible opposition to ensure probity and accountability as was amply demonstrated in the recent sittings of the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament. "As a result of the vigilance of the NDC, the country was saved from such disasters as the "IFC" loan and the "CNTCI" loan." In the midst of a crisis such as the one on energy, the NDC had sought to be constructive and offered specific proposals for addressing the critical national situation. 17 June 08