Zambaga Rufai Saminu
5 November 2009
Takoradi — A YOUTH activist of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr. Michael Ampong, has cautioned the party against any attempt to attribute the internal problems within the party to factionalism.
He said the leadership of the party that would be elected into office in the upcoming congress must look beyond the so called Nana Addo and Alan Kyerematen factions, and re-unite the party.
Speaking in a telephone interview with this reporter, Ampong said "Reconciliation in NPP goes beyond factions. I don't think Alan and Nana are fighting; the real reconciliation is for us to get the aggrieved ones on board", adding that "We need everybody, the totality of the party's support, but that will not be enough to win power. Our core support base cannot give us power, we need floating voters too," he emphasized.
Michael Ampong, who was one of Mr. Kyerematen's spokesperson during the NPP flag bearer contest in 2007, identified discrimination as one of the causes of the intra-party challenges and implored the party's leadership that would be coming into office after congress to work against the practice.
He cited Effia-Kwesimistism in the Western region, as one of the bad spot in the party, which nearly caused the NPP, but for the maturity exhibited by one of the aspirants, Nana Kofi Coomson, during that internal contest.
He said whilst the leadership must be prepared to acknowledge and accept divergent views of individual members of the party during its internal elections, it is equally important for them as constituency, regional and national executives to stay neutral during such elections. "Let's try as much as possible to show good leadership," The NPP youth activist advised.
Mr. Ampong told The Chronicle that he would also want the party to modify its ideological stand. "Society is changing so we must also change from the conservative way of doing things in conformity with modernity" he added.
According to the former TESCON and SRC President of the University of Cape Coast (UCC), the perception that the party was an Akan based one must also be vehemently defused, so that the NPP would be able to chart a new course in bringing on board new members." I hail from the Central region, but grew up in the Greater Accra region, and has had great influence from the Western region. I believe that I can deliver the three regions to my party. That is what our party should be looking at," he noted.
The interest of people and individual party members must fall in line with the party's interest, if the party is united, and leadership remains neutral, there will be a level playing field for all," he said.
Mr. Ampong is aspiring to become the National Youth Organizer of the party.
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