Accra, Sept 28, GNA - The People's National Convention (PNC) will hold its National Delegate's Congress to elect a Presidential Candidate and other national executives on Friday, November 14, 2003. The Congress is expected to amend portions of the party's constitution and endorse a memorandum of understanding for the Grand Coalition.
Nation executives to be elected are Chairman, Vice Chairman, General Secretary, Treasurer, Women and Youth Organisers, Education Secretary.
PNC would be the fourth out of ten registered political parties to elect its Presidential Candidate and other executives for the 2004 General Election.
The ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) has endorsed President John Agyekum Kufuor as its candidate for the third time, while the main opposition party, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has also affirmed former Vice President, Professor John Evans Atta Mills for the second time.
The Convention People's Party (CPP) has Mr George Opersika Aggudey. Speaking to the Ghana News Agency in Accra on Sunday, Dr Edward Mahama, PNC Leader, said nominations for the various positions would be open by October 15.
The Congress under the theme, "The New Ghana, a Mandate for Change," would be attended by over 2,000 delegates; ten each from the 200 constituencies and representatives of the Council of Elders, Regional Executives, Funding Members and the Overseas Branches in Canada, USA, Britain and Germany.
Dr Mahama called for a change of attitude, to develop the country. He said when people don't work hard and prefers to cheat, condone inefficiency and look outside for help, the country cannot move forward.
"My heart bleeds when I see people hungry and cannot afford a square meal a day, clothe themselves and yet they are in a country of plenty".
Dr Mahama accused the ruling NPP government of not implementing sound economic policies, saying, bad and non-pragmatic policies adopted by the government for nearly three years have created untold hardship on the average Ghanaian.
He said the nation is facing serious economic crisis with education, health and agricultural sectors in a mess.
Dr Mahama said it is particularly shameful that Ghana is still relying on the importation of food when the country has the potential to be net exporter of food.
The PNC Leader said his party would make the country a net exporter of food when voted into power.
He explained that the strategy to achieve this would be a combination of prudent state interventions, including the re-introduction of the workers brigade in a modified form, selective subsidies and competitive pricing of farm produce.
Dr Mahama explained that the workers brigade approach would focus on preparation of agricultural fields, which would be allotted to individuals and groups to cultivate as economic ventures.
He said there would be guaranteed prices for agricultural produce at the farm gate to enable farmers to break even to sustain production.