General News of Thursday, 8 December 2011

Source: The True Statesman

To Make Nana Addo President “At All Cost”

NPP BEGS CASH FROM BLAISE CAMPORE

The 2012 presidential candidate of the New Patriotic party (NPP), Nana
Akufo-Addo has taken his desperation to become president “at all cost”
to a new dimension by flouting the electoral rules on campaign funding.

He sent his party National Chairman National Chairman Jake
Obetsebi-Lamptey to President Blaise Campore of Burkina Faso to solicit for
funds to support his yet-to-bite campaign contrary to the rules on
political party funds in Ghana.

The regulatory regime of the political parties Act in Ghana specifically
states sources of private funding are permitted and those prohibited.

The law even imposed some limits on the acceptable sources of cash as the
traditional sources of party financing according to the Ghana’s Political
Parties Act insists on "Only a citizen may contribute in cash or in kind
to the funds of a political party".

It explained that that citizen includes a Ghanaian owned firm, partnership
or enterprise or a company that is registered in Ghana and is at least
seventy-five per cent Ghanaian owned.”

However, Nana Akufo-Addo in his usual predilection of betraying the rules
sent his party’s National Chairman Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey to Burkina Faso
to discuss issues of campaign funding with the ruling Congress for
Development and Progress party led by President Blaise Campore.

Jake Obtsebi-Lamptey at a meeting in Ouagadougou on November 18, 2011
indicated to THE FIRST VICE CHAIRMAN CDP, KANIDOUA NABOHO, that the NPP
initiated the interaction with the CDP out of a desire to deepen existing
relations between the two parties to enable them work together for mutual
benefit.

The NPP Chairman also conveyed a special message from the party’s flag
bearer Nana Akufo-Addo to President Blaise Campore and also requested the
CDP to help fund its campaign activities for the 2012 general elections in
Ghana, as his party was in dire need for cash to unseat President John
Evans Atta Mills.

The NPP delegation visited the provincial authorities and the CDP party
headquarters in Kadiogo and Oubritenga to acquaint themselves with the
structure of the CDP party at the grassroots level that has enabled the CDP
to entrench itself throughout Burkina Faso.

Meanwhile, the CDP delegation has also accepted an invitation from the NPP
to pay a reciprocal working visit to Ghana on a date yet to be agreed upon.


Below is the English translation of the communiqué issued at the end of
the visit.

Final Communiqué

Democracy- Progress –Justice

Development – Freedom

From 18th to 20th November 2011, The Congress for Democracy and Progress
(CDP) received a delegation of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) from Ghana, on
the latter’s request. The delegation was led by Mr. Jake Obetsebi
–Lamptey, Chairman of the NPP.

The CDP delegation was led by Mr. Kanidoua Naboho, first vice chairman in
charge Of Orientation and political issues, representing Roch Marc
Christian Kabore, Chairman of the party, and chairman of the national
executive bureau.

The Programme for the NPP was composed of:

· Audience with the CDF chairman

· Meeting of the two delegations

· Discussions with the Kadiogo and Oubritenga Provincial
Section of the CDP.

· Campaign funding

The audience granted Honorable Jake Obetsebi Lamptey, chairman of the NPP,
by the first vice chairman of the CDF, representing the party chairman,
offered a platform for him to welcome the NPP delegation and express the
willingness of the CDP to open up to the outside world and forge ties with
political parties in the sub region, Africa and the rest of the world.

The first vice chairman of the party further expressed the willingness to
establish a framework for exchange, on the one part, and on the other part,
on the common concerns of the two parties – development and political
issues and Good governance to consolidate our democratic gains and
experiences.

After wishing the Ghanaian delegation a happy stay in Burkina Faso,
Vice-chairman Kanodoua Naboho expressed to the delegation, the gratitude of
all CDP activists for this mark of African friendship and brotherliness.

Thanking his counterpart for the warm welcome accorded them, the chairman
of the NPP noted, by initiating the visit, his party is expressing the
desire to strengthen the relations and friendship and brotherliness between
the CDP and the NPP for them to work in synergy.

The meeting took place on 18th November 2011, from 5pm to 6:30pm at the
CDP headquarters. The two delegations congratulated each other for the
opportunity created to cement the ties between the two parties. They also
tacked issues of common interest between the two parties and countries.

The meeting of the provincial sections of the Kadiogo and Qubritenga was
an opportunity for the chairman of the NPP and the members of his
delegation to further inspire themselves with the organization and
functioning of the CDP and the grassroots. They particularly mentioned the
way the CDP is structured at the local level which has enabled it to
effectively entrench itself throughout the country.

At the end of its visit, the NPP delegation warmly expressed its gratitude
to the country’s highest authorities, the chairman of the party, members
of the national executive committee bureau, the national political and the
national council of the CDP, for their hospitality and the quality
programme put at their disposal during the visit.

The delegation requested the country’s representative to convey their
message of gratitude to all CDP activists. The CDP Delegation accepted an
invitation from the NPP for a working visit to Ghana on a date to be
consensually fixed later.

The two delegations expressed satisfaction at the climate of friendship
and mutual respect in which their deliberations were held.

Done in Ouagadougou in this day 19th of November 2011

SIGNED
BY:
SIGNED BY:

KANIDOUA
NABOHO
JAKE OBETSEBI-LAMPTEY

LEADER OF CDP
DELEGATION
FOR THE NPP DELEGATION



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