General News of Friday, 7 June 2019

Source: asempanews.com

Respect Ayariga’s parliamentary immunity – Speaker tells court

Speaker of Parliament, Prof Mike Ocquaye Speaker of Parliament, Prof Mike Ocquaye

Executives of the Convention People's Party, the People's National Convention, and the Progressive People's Party in the South Dayi Constituency of the Volta region have formed a joint constituency executive with a "Unity Parliamentary Candidate" for the 2020 elections.

Mr Felix Lartey, a 43-year old Engineer who was the CPP and PPP unity candidate for 2016 parliamentary election will represent the three parties in the 2020 elections.

Mr Kofi Nani, spokesperson for the group, at a News conference at Peki -Avetile said the move was to produce a front that would break the political duopoly of the National Democratic Congress and the New Patriotic Party.

He said the two parties appeared the only visible political organisations to the people, which was not helping proper representation in Parliament and citizens involvement in governance process.

Mr Nani said the only way to liberate the people and the constituency from that duopoly was to form alliances and urged other constituencies to do same and improve local governance.

"We are taking this opportunity to make a clarion call to all the other 274 political electoral constituencies in Ghana to also take the step we have taken in South Dayi and also get unity candidates and joint executives as we have done", he said.

Mr Nani said pro-Nkrumah groups were weakened since the birth of the Fourth Republic, and that the tripartite unity in South Dayi was born to "reverse the situation, turn a new leaf and attract respect for a united movement under joint leadership."

He said the CPP and the PPP had united in 2016, and in 2018 cemented their unity by forming the joint constituency executive chaired by representatives of the various parties.

Mr Nani said the PNC joined the group in 2019, and that they would work to unite the national party.

"The structure we are adopting is to have a unity of CPP, PNC and CPP rather than dissolving our branches into one new body. We therefore will use our branches to spread the cause of unity in the national party", he stated.

He said their initiative was "certainly the road to unity of all Pro Nkrumah political parties from below".

Mr Nani said the one party reign in the Constituency produced no solution to challenges of roads, economy, education and health, and that their unity would "advance the cause of the ordinary people".

"By next year, at this time of the election, we would have 28 years of continuous NDC representation of South Dayi. All these problems continue... it's about time to try another choice or party to examine whether another trend and progress is possible", he said.

The Ghana News Agency was told colours and emblems of the unity party were yet to be decided on.

Mr Bernard Mornah, National Chairman of the PNC said the "experiment" undertaken in South Dayi was commendable and would contribute towards the unity of all "Nkrumaists."

"South Dayi must show that through this experiment it is possible to unite parties", he said, and charged the executives to ensure the unity delivered on the mandate for, which it was born that is to win the parliamentary seat, "provide jobs and make lives better".