Accra, Oct. 22, GNA - Mr Mohammed Mubarak, a member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has said he will contest for the party's National Youth Organiser position when elections for national executive officers are held in December.

In a statement to the Ghana News Agency in Accra on Thursday, he said the NDC was the party that helped to improve people's livelihood while the opposition New Patriotic party (NPP) made a few people rich and the rest of Ghanaians poor.

"That is why the NDC cannot take power only to give it back to the NPP and that is why it is very important that the NDC makes reforms and elect national executive members who know the desires and aspirations of our foot soldiers and Ghanaians as a whole and can fight for their cause," Mr Mubarak said in the statement.

He said the National Youth Organiser of the NDC must not only speak the language of the youth but must also be able "to inspire, attract and recruit more youthful members to our party. I can do this better than any other candidate. I am what you may call 'young people's defender'. I am interested in the job because I want to stand up for my underprivileged peers." He said the ongoing polling station and constituency elections were crucial, but more crucial was the forthcoming National Executives elections as the people who would be elected at national level would determine whether the party can retain power in 2012 and beyond.

"I am therefore happy to announce my intention to stand for election as the National Youth Organiser of the NDC.

"Many young men and women throughout the world have helped shape the destiny of their country. Our country, Ghana, is blessed with a constellation of young, talented and hard working people. I want to use the opportunity of my election as the National Youth Organiser to help harness the talent in our youths to develop Ghana."

Mr Mubarak said the young men and women had a major stake in the destiny of the country and any political party which did not take that group seriously did so at its own peril.

"The volley of anger by our supporters is increasing and just a few people at the headquarters are left to deal with of all the concerns. "Our foot soldiers are lamenting because there are very few National Executive members available to address their problems; everyone else is too busy to take care of our supporters - the same supporters who risked their lives and put their jobs on the line for our party to come back to power. " Mr Mubarak said one of the reforms that the party had to make was that national executive members must not be allowed to become members of parliament or government ministers whilst holding on to their party portfolios.

"It distracts attention. We have to make the NDC stronger and solid as a rock. We currently have a disconnection between the party and government," he said.