Third anniversary of PPP; Nduom urges party members to stay on course
Dr Papa Kwesi Nduom, the 2012 Presidential candidate of the Progressive People’s Party (PPP), has called on members and sympathisers of the party to stay on course and build an alternative political movement Ghanaians need and are yearning for.
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However long it takes, he said, “Ghana needs incorruptible leadership and a relentless dedication to change that will strengthen our institutions and make Ghanaians prosperous in their own country.”
In a message to all progressives to mark the 3rd anniversary of the PPP, which falls this month, he stressed that “This is the time for all progressives to stand up and be counted.”
PPP Formation
The Progressive People's Party (PPP) was formed on February 25, 2012 after years of experience born out of frustration, humiliation, and disappointment on one hand and the belief that Ghana deserves better results than has been achieved in the Fourth Republic so far.
The founders of the PPP thought long and hard before making the decision that an independent, progressive movement not tied to the apron strings of any political party that has won power since independence would offer the best chance to bring change to the country and its people, the positive type that can be felt by all Ghanaians and not just a privileged few.
Some of the founders came from the Convention Party’s Party (CPP). Others were affiliated to the National Democratic Congress (NDC), New Patriotic Party (NPP), Democratic People’s Party (DPP), Great Consolidated Popular Party (GCPP), People’s National Convention (PNC) and independents. Those who joined from other political parties wanted more civil, friendlier and productive relationships within the party. Independence from the NDC and the NPP was a must to many of the founders.
They did not want to be witnesses or participants in internal bitter, acrimonious debates and quarrels. They wanted to be part of a group whose members would try and solve problems by going through internal processes; without resort to the media or the courts.
They wanted to join those who would not support attempts to divide the ranks of the party for selfish individual advantage. This group did not want in their ranks people who would join only to do the bidding of other political parties.
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It won’t be easy
According to Dr Nduom, meeting the goals of the PPP won’t be easy, explaining that, “Staring at us in the face were the difficulties faced by parties who had been in power in earlier lives such as the Convention People’s Party and the People’s National Convention.”
He said that there had been parties that had defected such as the Reform Party, the Democratic Freedom Party and others.
He further said that there were those in the media and organisations with international funding such as the Institute of Ecoomic Affairs (IEA) that had set aside Ghana's constitution and pretended that an organisation was a political party only if it had at least one seat in parliament.
“Some want to push a two-party system on Ghanaians, no matter the failures of those parties that are fortunate enough to win elections and lead the government in the fourth Republic,” he stated.
Dr Nduom said the founders of the PPP wanted a progressive movement that would appeal to a wide variety of Ghanaian interests but pointed out that, “The political parties law did not give us that option to stand on one platform for parliamentary and presidential elections as a movement.”
“Today, it is the PPP, not the NPP in opposition, that has established the moral authority to be crusaders against corruption, poverty in all its forms, impunity of government and abuse of incumbency,” Dr Nduom stated.
He stated that “The NDC and NPP went after votes in 2012 - by all means, refusing to take the moral high road and they won votes and seats in Parliament but lost the opportunity to lead from the front.” He said that some people believed that these two parties bought votes and now had nothing left to deliver to the people who, by the way, do not expect much from the winner, saying: “The people voted for the parties they thought could win. And the reality has sunk in. Doing the same wrong thing over and over again does not get you the change you need. Ghanaians are beginning to wake up and understand that you get what you vote for.”
Dr Nduom said, that after losing the 2012 election, the PPP faithful did not lose faith in the party.
Rather, he said they had remained ready to demonstrate to Ghanaians that they would stand up for the rights of all citizens, be strong advocates for reforms, work for independence and strengthening of state institutions and look for good candidates for 2016.
Ghanaians now know that the bright red sun is here to make this country great and strong, he stated, and promised to lead a real, formidable alternative in Ghanaian politics whose policies will make a positive difference in the lives of our people for years to come.