A former defense minister Dr. Addo Kufuor has been appointed to head a 10-member committee of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) to undertake an independent review of the 2016 elections.
The Addo Kufuor Committee has been given six weeks to submit its report to the leadership of the party through the General Secretary.
The Committee is also to: To provide a detailed and honest analysis of 2016 elections country wide; on structures and operations at all levels; to produce a clear, concise, but detailed report to form basis for the party’s campaign to win 2020 presidential and parliamentary elections, i.e. a strategy for 2020 elections; and, to provide objective review of the current state of the party.
According to the acting General Secretary of the party, John Boadu, “the party takes cognizance of the fact that every political programme requires a critical review after the expiration of the execution period” hence the formation of the committee.
The full composition of the committee was not given to the press. The opposition National Democratic Congress has also instituted a 13-member committee headed by Dr. Kwesi Botchwey to ascertain why the party lost the 2016 elections and recommend a panacea.
Below is the NPP’s full statement:
THE NEW PATRIOTIC PARTY INAUGRATES THE 2016 PRESIDENTIAL AND PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS REVIEW COMMITTTEE – STATEMENT BY JOHN BOADU (GENERAL SECRETARY AG.)
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) as a liberal conservative party, believes that its internal democracy will thrive only on a democratic enabling environment. It is only based on this that the party will continue to become very attractive to all sundry.
The party takes cognizance of the fact that every political programme requires a critical review after the expiration of the execution period. It is not surprising that at the inception of the 4th Republican constitution, when the party believed that the 1992 presidential elections were rigged, the party did a review of the election and came up with the popular “stolen verdict”. Likewise, the 1996 presidential and parliamentary elections were reviewed by the party and the lessons learnt and mistakes corrected catapulted the party into winning the 2000 elections overwhelmingly. The party produced what was known as the bought verdict.
The Heymann Committee of 2008, reviewed why the NPP lost the 2008 elections and some of the recommendations given resulted in the amendments of the Party’s constitution in 2009. You all know about the bizarre circumstance under which the 2012 elections were declared by the EC and even the Supreme Court pronouncement on the Presidential petition filed the then Presidential candidate and now the President of the Republic of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo. The 2012 elections were reviewed as well.
Thankfully, the New Patriotic Party won the 2016 presidential and parliamentary elections convincingly and we are gathered here today to inaugurate the Addo Kufuor Committee to undertake an independent Review of the 2016 elections.
TASKS
The Addo Kufuor Committee is a 10-Member Committee consisting of men and women who are true party members of credibility. The Committee is mandated by the Party to undertake the following assignments;
1. To provide a detailed and honest analysis of 2016 elections country wide; on structures and operations at all levels;
2. To produce a clear, concise, but detailed report to form basis for the party’s campaign to win 2020 presidential and parliamentary elections, i.e. a strategy for 2020 elections; and,
3. To provide objective review of the current state of the party.
SUBMISSION OF REPORT
The Addo Kufuor Committee has been given 6 weeks to submit its report to the leadership of the party through the General Secretary.
Ladies and Gentlemen, the high ranking of Ghana’s democracy which has become very enviable across the globe is as a result of the NPP’s continuous propagation of best political practices.
Long live NPP
Long live Ghana and May God bless us all
