The National Democratic Congress (NDC) on Monday, extended its best
wishes to all those who continue to support the party, both in and out
of government, promising that, it has them at heart and would always
cherish their interests and welfare and that of the nation.
A
statement signed by Ms Hannah Tetteh, Communications Director of the
party to mark the 16th Anniversary of the NDC said, the party had left
a legacy by handing over power peacefully following the December 2000
elections.
“President Rawlings peacefully handed over to
President Kufuor and an orderly transition process to the new
government took place.
“This was the legacy of a party that is “Always for People, Always for Development”, the statement said.
It said 16 years ago on June 10, 1992 the NDC was founded to contest elections that ushered Ghana into the Fourth Republic.
“The
party, under its first National Chairman, Alhaji Issifu Ali-and with
former President Rawlings as its first Presidential candidate and
Founder, decisively won the 1992 elections and, subsequently, the 1996
elections.”
The statement said “as the December 2008 elections
approach, the NDC, under Professor John Evans Atta Mills, is preparing
to resume the reins of government and to take Ghana to new heights.
“The
NDC is ready to solve decisively, the energy crisis and to ensure that
the benefits that Ghana can obtain from the blessing of having
significant production of oil and gas in the future would be fairly
distributed.
“The NDC is determined to bring to an end the
shame of massive cocaine trafficking, which has destroyed the image of
the country internationally and threatens the future of many of our
youth and even some older people”, it said.
“With the help of
the Almighty, what the locusts have eaten from the wealth of our nation
these last seven years would be restored under the next NDC
administration.”
The statement pledged the NDC preparedness to
ensure democracy thrived in Ghana saying, “in this election year we are
firmly committed to ensuring that we play our part in safeguarding the
democratic process, and will use all legal and legitimate means at our
disposal to make sure that the electoral process is credible, free,
fair and transparent and that the will of the Ghanaian people prevails.”
It
said the NDC would work with Ghanaians to create “A BETTER GHANA” that
would cater for the well-being of all its citizens, not only today but
for generations to come.
The statement recalled that the NDC
“brought together people from different traditions in Ghana’s political
history: people from the Nkrumaist tradition, people from the
Danquah-Busia tradition, people from the UNC, and independents, all
committed to ensuring that the political and economic recovery that
Ghana had achieved under the Government of the Provisional National
Defence Council, PNDC, would be sustained under the new democratic
Constitution that the PNDC bequeathed to the country.
It said
the NDC was a social democratic party with a focus on the welfare of
Ghanaians as a whole and not on the wealthy and privileged few.
“The
NDC ensured the deepening of the democratic process in Ghana and
established key institutions that were essential under the new
Constitution for the development of democracy, including the District
Assemblies, the National Commission for Civic Education, the Electoral
Commission, the Commission of Human Rights and Administrative Justice.
Also, a vibrant Parliament under the leadership of the late Justice
D.F. Annan as Speaker.”
The NDC put in place the necessary
legislation for the creation of an environment where the media could
flourish, enabling numerous FM radio stations and newspapers to be
established.
The statement said, “the NDC has continued to
act as a responsible opposition to ensure probity and accountability as
was amply demonstrated in the recent sittings of the Public Accounts
Committee of Parliament."
“As a result of the vigilance of the NDC, the country was saved from such disasters as the “IFC” loan and the “CNTCI” loan.”
In
the midst of a crisis such as the one on energy, the NDC had sought to
be constructive and offered specific proposals for addressing the
critical national situation.
Source: GNA
