CPP, PNC Form Alliance For December Elections

By William Yaw Owusu & Clement Atagra
Thursday, 15 May 2008
After years of speculation about the unity of the Nkrumahist family parties, two of them, the Convention People’s Party (CPP) and the People’s National Convention (PNC) have come together to contest this year’s election.

This was confirmed to the Times yesterday by leaders of both parties who said the decision was taken on Tuesday night, the details of which are still being worked out.

However, PNC flag-bearer, Edward Mahama, declined to comment further on the issue, saying "I will make a formal statement at the appropriate time."

A more forthcoming Paa Kwesi Nduom, CPP flag-bearer, said it has been agreed that he should lead the alliance into the election in December, while Dr. Mahama will be his running mate.

"The committee, form-ed to come up with a name for the alliance will do that within the next three weeks," he said.

Dr. Nduom stated that the alliance was a fulfillment of what the late Dr. Hilla Limann and Kojo Botsio had started.

"These people actually signed a Memorandum of Understanding and were only waiting to implement it when Dr. Limann died," he said.

In this regard, he said, the alliance pays respect to the two great leaders.

"The good thing about this family alliance is that the parties will now present a common front with the same vision for Ghanaians to decide.’
He said the alliance, was the final decision of a series of meetings involving the top echelons of the two parties.

Under the alliance, he told the Times that it has been agreed that in constituencies where either party has a comparative advantage, the other will not file a parliamentary candidate, saying this alliance, will enhance the chances of the two parties more than before.

In an earlier interview, Kosi Dede, Head of the Publicity Committee of the CPP, said the two parties agreed that the symbol of the CPP, the cock, should be adopted under the alliance.

He also said they will select common parliamentary candidates for the election adding "we have already started this in the Upper West Region."

"Even though we have arrived at these decision, I must admit that there was not very wide consultation at the grassroots. It was decided at the leadership level."

"We will step up our effort to sensitise our sympathisers and supporters on the need to unite for victory in 2008.

Those at the meeting, he said, with Dr Nduom and Dr. Mahama included Ladi Nylander and Alhaji Ahmed Ramadan, chairman of the CPP and PNC respectively.

Some radio stations yesterday broke the news of the alliance.

The spokesman for Dr Nduom, David Ampofo, confirmed on Joy FM that the alliance had really taken place.

The CPP is a socialist political party based on the ideals of the first president, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah.

It was formed in 1949 by Nkrumah to campaign for independence and ruled from 1957 to 1966.

During the latter part of the CPP era, the Constitution was changed to make it the only legal party in Ghana, making the nation a one-party state.

The party was banned after the February 24, 1966 coup d’etat which overthrew Dr. Nkrumah and his government.

Earlier, moves to get the Nkrumahist families together have been going on for many years. It is recalled that the late ex-President Hilla Limann resisted moves in his time to merge the families insisting that his party, the People’s National Party (PNP)was the true Nkrumahist party and those parties desirous of a merger should join the PNP.