CPP launches manifesto for the disadled

By William Yaw Owusu

Tuesday September 2, 2008
THE Convention People’s Party (CPP) took its campaign for the December election to a new level when it launched a braille verson of its manifesto for the visually impaired yesterday.

A braille is a system of printing for blind people in which each letter is represented as a raised pattern which can be read by touching with the fingers.

In attendance at the launch in Accra yesterday were the leadership and members of the various associations of persons with disability as well as the leadership and some leading members of the CPP.

Launching it, Dr. Paa Kwesi Nduom, flag-bearer of the CPP regretted that all political parties had failed to adequately address the needs of persons with disability.

He said “we are the only party to launch a real version of our manifesto in the Braille verson so that our brothers and sisters who are disadvantaged will know the plans that the CPP has for them.”

He said the party’s ten point agenda captioned “change you can fell in your pocket” has also been turned into a Braille form for them to make informed choices in the December poll.

“We want the electorate to know the difference between the CPP and all the other parties. We are all aware that it is only the CPP which is capable of offering a change that the people can believe in.”

Dr Nduom said the CPP’s manifesto which revolves around self determination, Pan Africanism and social justice has been accepted by the electorate and said “we will continue to campaign to win the election.

Yaw Ofori Debrahs president of the Ghana Association for the Blind said the CPP’s gesture is a demonstration of their commitment to people centred leadership that they are promising.”

Samuel K. Asare, president of the Ghana Association for the Deaf said “we are always left out in the electoral process but it is time for the politicians to put us in their plans.”

A representative of the Ghana society for the Physically Disabled said, “this initiative of the CPP shows that the party is committed to making us part of the electoral process.

Ivor Kobina Greenstreet, General Secretary of the CPP who himself is disabled in his welcome address said issues of persons with disability should be non partisan.

He said the CPP represents the poor and the vulnerable and will fight for them at any time.