Nduom's PPP Targets 45 Seats

Dr Kwesi Nduom
The main focus of the Progressive People's Party (PPP), ahead of the 2016 general elections, is to campaign well to win at least three million presidential votes and 20 to 45 parliamentary seats.

This, the party claimed, would enable it to hold the balance of power in Parliament and participate in a second round presidential election to occupy the Flagstaff House.

The National Chairman of PPP, Nii Allotey Brew-Hammond, revealed this during the party's 2015 National Convention held in Takoradi over the weekend on the theme, 'Strategise to Form Government in 2017'.

The party used its national convention on Saturday to discuss its policy direction and strategy for the 2016 general elections and also confirmed the party's national officers.

The well attended event was graced by high profile officials of the party as well as parliamentary aspirants of the PPP, who used the platform to introduce themselves to the party members.

Nii Allotey Brew-Hammond noted that the party's strategic plan to win the 2016 general elections to bring prosperity and peace to the people of Ghana would be executed on eradicating poverty.

'This can be done by creating jobs, providing incorruptible leadership, by advocating constitutional reforms and offering electoral reforms to bring credibility to the electoral processes,' he noted.

He stated: 'At a time when many Ghanaians are losing faith in government, PPP has and will continue to demonstrate and communicate its commitment and effectiveness as the best alternative government.'

Mr Brew-Hammond stressed that a PPP government would be steadfast in uprooting corruption from the country's body politic and improving the economy.

Nduom Pledges
Dr Paa Kwesi Nduom, Leader and Founder of the PPP, stated emphatically that no Member of Parliament (MP) under the PPP's government would be made a minister.

He also indicated that when voted into power, PPP would separate the Attorney General's Department from the Ministry of Justice and make a Chief State Prosecutor (CSP) the Attorney General of the republic.

The CSP, according to Dr Nduom, would be nominated by the Ghana Bar Association on the advice of the Judicial Council and approved by Parliament.

The 2012 presidential candidate of the party mentioned that a PPP government would cancel the MPs Common Fund and re-instate the District Assembly Common Fund as prescribed by the 1992 Constitution.

'The PPP believes that policymaking processes must start from the grassroots and national policy applications must be subject to local realities,' he added.

Dr Nduom pointed out that a PPP government would allow the people in the districts to directly elect their Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs), noting that this would engender community ownership and involvement in the development process.

'If an individual with ideas and capacity for transforming a district could contest, win and implement those ideas and policies, they could be replicated in other districts if they are found to be rewarding,' he further noted.

Dr Nduom indicated that the PPP's government would ensure that free Senior High School education is a right for all Ghanaian children and would give priority to the implementation of the party's educational policy in the national budgets.

'We will fund the free, compulsory and continuous education vision through government revenue to the tune of GH₵5.5 billion within five years,' Dr Nduom pledged.

The PPP used the convention to confirm its national officers who will steer the affairs of the party for the next four years.

They include Nii Allotey Brew-Hammond, National Chairman; William Doworkpor, 1st Vice Chairman and Belinda Bulley, 2nd National Vice Chairperson.

The rest are Baah Seliah, 3rd Vice Chairman; Mutala Mohammed, Secretary; Devine Nkrumah, Youth Coordinator; Vivian Tetteh, Women's Coordinator and Felix Okrah, Treasurer.

From Emmanuel Opoku, Takoradi