Politics of Sunday, 31 October 2004

Source: GNA

Personal attacks will not win elections - Independent Candidate

Navrongo (U/E), Oct. 31, GNA - Mr Abdallah Otito Achuliwor, an Independent Candidate for Navrongo Central Constituency on Saturday indicated that personal attacks on political platforms would not in any way help politicians to win Election 2004.

He said the habit would rather make politicians unpopular with the electorate and called for decent and humane way of packaging campaign messages to the public to ensure peace and tranquillity in the forthcoming elections.

Mr Achuliwor, who is the younger brother of the Mr John Setuni Achuliwor, Former Member of Parliament who died in motor accident, said this when he formally introduced himself as an independent Parliamentary Candidate for the constituency and launched his electioneering campaign. Mr Achuliwor has the Tilapia (Kapora) as his symbol with the inscription "Vote for Achuliwor, for Peace, Unity and Development". Delegates from all the electoral zones in the constituency thronged the Police Park in Navrongo amidst drumming and dancing and chanting the slogans his Brother used to win the seat also as an Independent Candidate: "Kapora dia, Kapora ke" meaning "Tilapia has won, Tilapia is gone".

The delegates defied the scotching sun and waited at the Police Park from 1000 hours till 1530 hours when the candidate finally arrived after marching through the principal streets of Navrongo.

Mr Achuliwor claimed that the choice of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) candidate for the bye-elections to replace his Brother had brought about division among people.

He said he came from a poor background, which placed him in a better position to represent the poor and the vulnerable in society and that he when Elected he would ensure equitable distribution of the national cake to the poor.

The Independent Candidate said when voted into power he would continue with the good deeds of his Brother to develop the constituency in the areas ICT training, equipping the youth with employable skills and helping farmers and businessmen and women to increase their output.