NDC in double standards over ROPAA

Information had indicates that, inspite of its continued protests against the implementation of the Representation of the People's Amendment Act, the opposition National Democratic Congress is seriously opening up offices in a number of countries in the West African sub-region in preparation for the exercise.

Intelligence reports indicate that the party which has already opened up offices in Togo, La Cote dIvoire and Benin, is making feverish plans to open more of such offices in other countries.

The National Chairman of the NPP, Peter Mac-manu, who disclosed this at the opening of a two-day Strategic Review Workshop for the party's constituency executives in the Western Region at Takoradi, described the NDC's move as "double standards".

He wondered why the NDC, which is vehemently kicking against the implementation of law that enfranchises Ghanaians abroad, to the extent of even declaring its intention of compiling its own 2008 election results devoid of ROPPA votes, should clandestinely be preparing for the same exercise.

Mac-Manu said the party demonstrated its double standard towards the law when together with minor political parties like the EGLE and the PNC walked out of an Inter Party Advisory Council Meeting with the Electoral Commissioner in Accra to deliberate on effective steps towards its implementation.

According to him, the walkout was staged after representatives of the afore-mentioned parties had done justice to the snacks served by the Commission.

In his view, the parties had no justification whatsoever walking out on the EC which has no power to either condemn or appraise a law which has already been passed by Parliament.

The NPP National Chairman said his party and for that matter the good people of Ghana are awake and would not allow the opposition to throw dust into their eyes with regard to issues concerning ROPAA.

Mac-Manu who expressed optimism about his party's victory at the polls with or without ROPAA come 2008, said it was about time the NDC stopped making a fuss about the whole ROPAA issue.

The national organiser of the party, Lord Commey, also noted that just as Ghana did not burn when his party stayed in opposition for over thirty years, the country will definitely move ahead if the NDC fails to win the 2008 election.

He attributed the NDC's continued protest over ROPAA to the party's realisation of its impending electoral loss in next year's ballot.

The General-Secretary of the party, Nana Ohene-Ntow, said the NPP which is a "committed and a hardworking party, does not know how to lie, steal or rig elections and yet has won two general elections in this country.

"Nana Ohene-Ntow noted that even though the NPP is now a politically rich party, its problem is how to consolidate the hold on power through analysis and solutions of problems.

It was against this backdrop that he cautioned party members who have resorted to bickering and internal squabbles to refrain from such negative practices which has the tendency of pushing the great elephant family to the brink of losing power.

The NPP General-secretary re-iterated that although the party has challenges, it does have gains which need to be consolidated through effective dissemination of its achievements over the last seven years.

The party's regional chairman, Nana Owusu-Ankomah, disclosed of plans by the Western Region to increase its parliamentary seats from the current 12 to 20 come 2008.

The Strategic Review Workshop which was attended by other national executives like John Boadu, National Youth Organiser, was under the theme 'Consolidating our gains.'

The Statesman learnt it was aimed at identifying weaknesses in the party and how best they could be addressed to ensure massive victory in the 2008 election