Politics of Thursday, 8 November 2012
Source: GNA
Ghana Decides, a BloGh Election Project has hosted Dr Abu Sakara Forster, the Presidential Candidate of the Convention People’s Party (CPP), on a Google Plus.
The Hangout, which was the first in a series by Ghana Decides, sought to provide candidates in the December 7 polls a platform to explain their positions on relevant national issues, as well as interact more closely with the youth.
This was contained in a press release issued by Kinna Likimani, Project Lead of Ghana Decides and copied to the Ghana News Agency in Accra.
It said Dr Sakara was encouraged by the response to his campaign on social media, and expressed the hope that the response would reflect in the election results in December.
The release said responding to questions posed on education; Dr Sakara attributed his current academic progression and status to the free education he enjoyed under the CPP, which was the originator of the free Senior High School.
Speaking on the issue of unemployment in Ghana, Dr Sakara stated that the CPP’s plan for reducing unemployment is to retrain graduates and to ensure that there is a link between academia and industry.
It said in response to a question by one of the participants in the Hangout on the recent announcement of salary increases for the Executive, Legislature and other institutions, he described the move as “immoral”.
Dr Sakara pointed out the unresolved conflict between the supporters of Alassane Ouattara, President of Cote d’Ivoire, and former President Laurent Gbagbo as Ghana’s foremost security threat.
Answering questions on the CPP’s failure to have significant electoral success in the Fourth Republic, Dr Sakara said the party would go into the elections with a determined mind to make “voices heard”.
He said he believed that Ghanaians are tired of the incumbent National Democratic Congress and the largest opposition New Patriotic Party, and therefore, the CPP has a chance of winning the elections.
Dr Sakara said the platform was a great way of reaching people that he would not normally have an opportunity to interact.
“With many Ghanaians, especially the youth, now on one form of social media or the other, it is believed that interactions such as these would reach a lot of Ghanaians who otherwise may miss the opportunity to interact with the presidential candidates due to perceived declining interest in traditional media,” he added.
Ghana Decides, a BloGh Election Project is funded by STAR-Ghana under its Election 2012 aimed to foster a better informed electorate for free, fair and safe 2012 Elections using online social media tools.
The non-partisan project also aims to educate the youth, civil society organisations and public institutions on the effective use of social media for social change.