NDC manifesto model along political philosophy — Asiedu Nketia

The General Secretary of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr Johnson Asiedu Nketia, has explained that the NDC as a social democratic party always models its manifesto along the lines of its political philosophy and does not copy blindly from any party.

He, therefore, said the New Patriotic Party (NPP), was not consistent and comfortable with its own philosophy of capitalism and trying to veer off into social democratic tendencies hence, the confusion and accusation that the NDC was stealing the contents in their manifesto.

Mr Asiedu Nketia, who was addressing party supporters at the launch of the party’s manifesto at the Coronation Park in Sunyani last Saturday, stated the reason some NPP members believed their manifesto had been copied was because the NPP was not consistent with its capitalist ideology which was the basis of its constitution.

Explaining the two ideologies, the general secretary said with the NDC’s socialism policies, the party believed that the socially excluded and the poor must always be supported to realise their dreams and also have the muscle to contribute their quota to national development.

He said the party did not believe that the poor should be left on their own but more needed to be taken from the rich and the well-to-do in society to support the poor because they could not be left alone to fend for themselves.

He indicated that the NPP’s ideology was that both the poor and the rich must be left to fend for themselves in a world of the survival of the fittest but surprisingly, the NPP had abandoned its philosophy and pursuing that of the NDC.

Stolen manifesto

Mr Asiedu Nketia wondered why a political party seeking the mandate of the people to rule could not safely keep its own manifesto to the extent that it was claiming that another political party had copied aspects of its manifesto.

He likened the situation where the NPP had abandoned its ideology to a train that had derailed and moved into the rails of an incoming train.

Sunyani etymology

Mr Asiedu Nketia explained that the choice of Sunyani as the venue for the launch of the party’s manifesto was to ensure that the NPP, which has the elephant as its symbol, was defeated in the December 7 election.

Mr Asiedu Nketiah, who hails from the Brong Ahafo Region, explained that the word Sunyani was from two Twi words Osono dwaye to wit a place where elephants were slaughtered.

He said it was those two Twi words that had been corrupted to Sunyani and that the NDC decided on the regional capital to symbolically ensure that the NPP was defeated in the December polls.

National chairman

The National Chairman of the party, Mr Kofi Portuphy said the unity of the NDC was crucial and commended members of the party for their unity, adding that Ghanaians would not  hand over the administration of the country into the hands of NPP, led by Nana Akufo-Addo, who was very divisive.

 He urged the members of the NDC not to be complacent but work hard to ensure that on the election day, every person was brought out to vote for the party by helping the sick, the aged and all to cast their vote.

He also indicated that the party would move from polling station to polling station to explain the just-launched manifesto for the people of Ghana to appreciate what the party had in store for them in its next administration.