Dr Charles Wereko-Brobby, founder and leader of the United Ghana Movement (UGM), has said in an interview that there is nothing wrong with the country's electoral system.

"Ghana is one of the few countries where representatives of political parties are allowed to monitor every stage of the electoral process from beginning to end.

"What is wrong is that the political observers are not well trained and so do not know their rights and allow officials of the Electoral Commission to engage in illegalities."

Dr Wereko-Brobby, also the UGM's presidential candidate for election 2000 said his assertion didnot mean that everything went on well with the elections in 1992 and 1996, adding he could cite a lot of instances where acts of irregularities took place.

"What l think is wrong is for the parties to expect every government official to act honestly... the truth is that they won't and it is for the various parties to wake up to this reality and institute measures that will prevent the dishonest officials from practicing their illegal deeds," he said.

Dr Wereko-Brobby who has just returned from a tour of the United States, Canada, and Britain said his party will launch its campaign for the 2000 election on December 31, 1999.

"This is because the next election is about the new millenium ... it will be about new ideas, new initiatives. We intend to launch our campaign to mark a new beginning in Ghanaian politics."

Dr Wereko-Brobby expressed optimism about his party winning the next elections and said the UGM will have enough resources for its campaign.

"If the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has won it is because, nobody has gone to the people with viable alternate policies. UGM has the vision of what it wants Ghana to be. We will go to the farmers and tell them about the alternate programmes we have.

"We will not just tell the people that the agricultural or educational policies are wrong, we will show them why they are wrong and explain to them the alternate programmes we have that can make their lives better," he said.

Dr Wereko-Brobby said the incumbency advantage of the NDC also works against it because after almost over a decade of President Jerry John Rawlings, the majority of Ghanaians are under abject poverty and deprivation.

He said the UGM was ambivilent to the rumpus in the NDC involving the Reform Group, adding the "UGM does not build its fortune on the mishap of others. We have a clear programme that we are following which we believe will win us power. What happens in the NDC is their concern not ours."

Dr Wereko-Brobby said during talks with officials of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund in the US as well as officials of the British foreign service during his recent tour, the UGM was well received and appreciated.

He said most Ghanaians he talked to expressed concern about the delay in passing of the dual citizenship bill adding many of them have expressed the desire to participate in the next elections.