DFP to unseat NPP?

The Democratic Freedom Party (DFP) says it has the political force to push the New Patriotic Party (NPP) out of power in the 2008 general elections.

"Come January 2009 we shall assume the reins of government."
John Ameka, the Deputy DFP General Secretary in charge of Finance and Administration, disclosed these to The Times in Accra.
He said the party was building and consolidating its support base across the country.

Mr Ameka described the DFP as an "under cur¬rent party" adding "the real political force is not yet seen; those of us in it know it has the current to push the NPP out of power.”

On the choice of a presidential candidate of the party, Mr Ameka said the functional National Executive Committee was yet to discuss the date for the election of the presidential candidate. "Our priority now is to make sure we complete establishing all our branches before coming out with the flagbearer," he said.

"It is not the flagbearer who will win the election, the election will ultimately be won by the rank and file of the party," he added.
On the party structures, Mr Ameka said so far the DFP had established offices in all constituencies of the Western, Upper West, Central and Northern Regions.

He said out of 19 constituencies in Brong Ahafo, DFP had as at February, established 15 constituencies, 13 out of 27 constituencies in the Greater Accra Region and 26 out of the 39 constituencies in the Ashanti Region.

Mr Ameka said the party had established 25 constituency offices out of 28 in the Eastern Region; 17 out of 22 in the Volta Region and nine out of 13 in the Upper East Region.

"Our constituency executives are responsible people who have come forward on their own volition," he said.

"They are made up of people from other political parties as well as people who have not belonged to any political party at all because of political violence in some circles."

"These people have decided to join our party because we believe in preaching ideals and detest political violence, intimidation and political vendetta".

Mr Ameka said all the structures of the party are going to be part of the government of the country when they take over the reins of government in January 2009.

He said the constituency executives had been tasked to identify candidates for the Parliamentary elections, adding "the responses are many."

He said as anew party, the DFP had financial difficulties but believed that the party was capable of generating the needed funds and called on the rank and file to contribute to that.

Mr Ameka expressed the need to make the Electoral Commission financially independent from the government and said the state should take responsibility of party agents during elections.

He said these measures when implemented would enhance the credibility of the electoral system.