Politics of Saturday, 5 March 2005

Source: GNA

CPP urged to adopt "Neo Nkrumaist"

Kumasi, March 5, GNA-Mr Kwame Appiah Boateng, Convention People's Party (CPP) parliamentary candidate for Nhyiaeso in the 2004 elections, has proposed the immediate adoption of "Neo Nkrumaist" by the CPP to lay the ground work to help lead the party to victory in the 2008 elections.

He said, "Neo Nkrumaist" which is the African version of "social democrats" believed in the noble ideas and ideals of democracy, elective representation, advocate a free enterprise and support the government's intervention to correct inequalities generated by the market system.

Speaking to the Ghana News Agency in an interview in Kumasi on Friday, Mr Boateng said "Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah would have converted from being a 'socialist' to a 'social democrat' in the new millennium". He said "Neo Nkrumaist" supports government intervention to correct the inequalities in the free market system through progressive taxation, transfers of payments, access to capital, creation of employment for the vulnerable as well as the elimination of all forms of discrimination in society.

Mr Boateng said "Neo Nkrumaist" opposed the dictatorial or communist style of socialism and believed in the struggle against what he termed "high-tech colonialism", neo colonialism through puppet governments and imperialism, which created unfair trade in favour of powerful countries.

He commended the CPP leadership for its new open door policy, which called for new ideas in order to charter a new course for the party to win the 2008 elections.

He urged the leadership to use the 48th independence anniversary celebrations to reflect soberly on the "Neo Nkrumaist" idea and adopt it to propel the party to victory in 2008.