4 November 2009
editorial
When the New Patriotic Party (NPP) was preparing to go to the polls to elect its flagbearer for the 2008 general elections, several text messages were sent by supporters of some of the contestants to put their opponents in a bad light, just for some to gain an advantage over others.
When the dust finally settled after the election of the flagbearer, opponents of the NPP used some of these damaging text messages as campaign tools against the party.
It is in the light of the above that The Chronicle supports the call made by Mr. Felix Owusu Agyepong, the former Majority Leader in Parliament, to all candidates contesting for various positions in the party, to embark on a clean campaign, devoid of insults. "There should not be any cause for members to attack each other, mudslinging and disunity, whose rectification would require energy and resources that could otherwise be used in our campaigns", the Daily Graphic quoted him as saying in its yesterday's edition.
As a party that has been in government for eight years, its leading members have acquired enough experience and maturity to avoid petty squabbles, such us hiding behind people and technology to rain insults on their opponents, with the view of ruining their political ambitions to the advantage of others. It is the hope of The Chronicle that all those who have declared their intention to contest for positions in the party, would respect this advice, in the interest of the party.
NPP is currently the largest minority party in the country, which has the capability to win an election and take over the reins of government. The onus, therefore, lies on the believers of democracy to ensure that the party is not disintegrated, but is made viable to offer constructive criticisms to the government. Open insults on political opponents are not good for the type of democracy that Ghanaians are yearning for. Mr. Felix
Owusu Agyepong has certainly made a good suggestion that must be taken on board by his opponents, especially in the national chairmanship race.
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