2012, make or break (2012, Make or Break for CPP--Dr Aidoo (Thursday, May, 13, 2010 pg 14)
The newly appointed Party Education Director of the Convention People’s Party (CPP), Dr Thomas Maxwell Aidoo, has said "2012 is a make or break for the CPP.”
“We must make ourselves relevant to the political landscape or forever remain in the wilderness", he told the Daily Graphic in an interview.
Sharing his ideas on how to make the CPP viable and strong, he called for a consented effort to increase the party's seats in parliament in the 2012 general election in order to improve the party's presidential fortunes in subsequent elections.
Dr Aidoo, who is also a Research Fellow of the Institute of African Studies at the University of Ghana, said the party recorded some significant figures in some constituencies at the parliamentary level, hence the need to concentrate on such constituencies and win at least 30 seats.
According to him, winning more parliamentary seats will enable the party win either the 2016 or 2020 elections, adding "we can form the next government in 2016 or 2020, if we decide to reorganise our grass roots which the CPP of old was noted for."
He said the declining fortunes of the CPP was because its social base, which was the working class, had been depleted over the years because of harsh economic policies.
He observed that the CPP-NPP Alliance in the 1996 elections and the divided CPP support mainly for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) had also contributed to dwindling the support base of the party.
He discarded the notion that the CPP could only survive after the demise of the NDC and said, "the demise of the NDC would not in any way consolidate Ghana's democracy."
On unity in the Nkrumah front, he noted that efforts towards uniting all parties that profess Nkrumaist doctrines was ongoing, adding that "the declining fortunes of the parties involved would force unity on them."
He said even though the CPP had good policies and programmes that could promote the development of the country, the party's problem was communicating these to Ghanaians in a way that would make the party relevant to their needs.
He said he would champion the party education machinery to spread its wings and inform Ghanaians about what the party had to offer in terms of education, youth employment, agriculture and infrastructure development.
Dr Aidoo added that the Education Directorate would embark on a systematic education campaign that would make the party's vision clearer in the minds of Ghanaians and propel it as an alternative to the NDC and the NPP.
"It is now time for the CPP to position itself as the alternative to the NDC and NPP to bring the party back to power and put the country where its deserves to be, so far as development is concerned."
On the internal wrangling in the youth circles of the party, he stated that such developments were necessary to build a strong party since the clash of ideas promotes and consolidates democracy in the party.
He, however, cautioned the youth to "de-personalise the issues and concentrate on matters that will bring progress to the party."
Dr Aidoo said the party could also attract the youth into its fold if its leaders espouse ideas that fall within the Nkrumah agenda, "while at the same time telling the youth what their vision for the country is, in a manner that would not to make the youth think that the party could only thrive on Nkrumah’s vision."
“We must make ourselves relevant to the political landscape or forever remain in the wilderness", he told the Daily Graphic in an interview.
Sharing his ideas on how to make the CPP viable and strong, he called for a consented effort to increase the party's seats in parliament in the 2012 general election in order to improve the party's presidential fortunes in subsequent elections.
Dr Aidoo, who is also a Research Fellow of the Institute of African Studies at the University of Ghana, said the party recorded some significant figures in some constituencies at the parliamentary level, hence the need to concentrate on such constituencies and win at least 30 seats.
According to him, winning more parliamentary seats will enable the party win either the 2016 or 2020 elections, adding "we can form the next government in 2016 or 2020, if we decide to reorganise our grass roots which the CPP of old was noted for."
He said the declining fortunes of the CPP was because its social base, which was the working class, had been depleted over the years because of harsh economic policies.
He observed that the CPP-NPP Alliance in the 1996 elections and the divided CPP support mainly for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) had also contributed to dwindling the support base of the party.
He discarded the notion that the CPP could only survive after the demise of the NDC and said, "the demise of the NDC would not in any way consolidate Ghana's democracy."
On unity in the Nkrumah front, he noted that efforts towards uniting all parties that profess Nkrumaist doctrines was ongoing, adding that "the declining fortunes of the parties involved would force unity on them."
He said even though the CPP had good policies and programmes that could promote the development of the country, the party's problem was communicating these to Ghanaians in a way that would make the party relevant to their needs.
He said he would champion the party education machinery to spread its wings and inform Ghanaians about what the party had to offer in terms of education, youth employment, agriculture and infrastructure development.
Dr Aidoo added that the Education Directorate would embark on a systematic education campaign that would make the party's vision clearer in the minds of Ghanaians and propel it as an alternative to the NDC and the NPP.
"It is now time for the CPP to position itself as the alternative to the NDC and NPP to bring the party back to power and put the country where its deserves to be, so far as development is concerned."
On the internal wrangling in the youth circles of the party, he stated that such developments were necessary to build a strong party since the clash of ideas promotes and consolidates democracy in the party.
He, however, cautioned the youth to "de-personalise the issues and concentrate on matters that will bring progress to the party."
Dr Aidoo said the party could also attract the youth into its fold if its leaders espouse ideas that fall within the Nkrumah agenda, "while at the same time telling the youth what their vision for the country is, in a manner that would not to make the youth think that the party could only thrive on Nkrumah’s vision."
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