Joe Ghartey, Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament and Member of Parliament for Esikado, has challenged delegates to the New Patriotic Party’s upcoming Delegates’ Conference to rise above any parochial or sectional interest and elect leaders they are convinced have what it takes to spearhead the party’s campaign to ensure a resounding victory in the 2016 general elections. Mr Ghartey has also charged the aspirants for the various positions, as well as those who have been mandated to supervise the elections, to be mindful of their utterances and activities in order not to create conditions that would not promote genuine unity in the party after the contest to elect national officers is over.
“Whatever we say or do as party members and leaders who are desirous of seeing the return of the NPP to power in the 2016 elections, we need to critically consider what the impact would be on the overall agenda we are collectively pursuing. We need to know that the power we seek is not just about any individual’s ambition or that of any group in the party; it is about our collective interest as a party that is determined to win political power to salvage the nation from the current bad governance the NDC is providing,” he stated in an exclusive interview with the New Statesman.
According to Mr Ghartey, Ghanaians are waiting impatiently and desperately to show the Mahama-led NDC government the exit from the corridors of power, having been living witnesses to the fact that the economic circumstances of the nation always deteriorate when an NDC government is put in charge of the management of the nation.
“It is therefore the expectation of the people that we as a party will position ourselves well and be prepared to fight tooth and nail for the mandate they want to take from the NDC and give to us,” he noted, adding that this is what he expects every genuine member of the party to consider in whatever he or she does or says.
“In the case of the delegates, for instance, if we place our collective interest of winning power to save the nation above our parochial and sectional interest, it would not matter where this or that aspirant for a position comes from or belongs in the party. What will matter most is the competence of the person, his or her track record and whether we are convinced about their ability to deliver the goods to secure victory for the party,” Mr Ghartey added.
The former Attorney-General and Minister of Justice stressed the need for peace and genuine unity ahead of the election of national officers of the party, adding: “Any internal squabble during this period will only provide our opponents with electoral ammunition and leave our party weaker ahead of the 2016 elections.”
He challenged the various aspirants and their supporters to focus their campaign on what they have to offer the party, especially their plans to help secure victory for the party in the 2016 elections, and desist from maligning others in the race.
“In an internal contest such as the ongoing one, we don’t have to cast a dirty slur on the image and integrity of our colleagues just because of the position we seek to occupy. We have to be decent in our utterances and carry out all our activities in a manner that will engender comradeship, solidarity and genuine unity after the contest,” Mr Ghartey advised, adding: “We must remain united even after this internal electoral process and work with a common sense of purpose towards victory in election 2016.”