Progressive People�s Party Gets Final Certificate

The Progressive People�s Party (PPP) has received a final certificate from the Electoral Commission (EC) to become a fully fledged political party in Ghana with the promise to mount purely issue-based and disciplined electioneering. Speaking to the media just after receiving the certificate, Dr Paal Kwesi Nduom, the Founder and Leader of the party, gave the strongest assurance that the party was in the political race to fully and actively compete in the 2012 elections. �We will contest the 2012 elections 100 per cent. Our sun is not only shining but spreading,� in an apparent reference to the party�s symbol which is a red shining sun in a white background. He noted that PPP would be law abiding and work tireless to preserve the integerity of the electoral process, especially by abiding by all the rules and regulations governing the political parties law. He said it was the party�s policy to engage in political competition of ideas and problem solving through positive attitudes, actions and to participate in discourse devoid of insults and personality attacks which did not hold the answer to the nation�s problems. With the acquisition of the certificate, the PPP had met all the requirements of the political parities law to commence activities, including organising congressess to elect constituency and presidential aspirants as well as constituency, regional and national executives. PPP, which has become the 17th registered political party in the books of the EC, was formed this year by Dr Nduom, who was the 2008 presidential candidate of the Convention People�s Party (CPP). It received its interim certificate from the commission on February 2, 2012. Advising the PPP interim executive just before the presentation of the certificate, Ms Rebecca Adjaho, a member of the commission, said although it was within the rights of every group of Ghanaians to form a political party, they were equally enjoined by the law to undertake certain obligations. These, she explained, included the declaration of assets and expenditure of the party within 90 days after the issue of the final certificate of registration and within 21 days before a general election, the party must submit a statement of its assets and liabilities. She added that the law also required that within 90 days of receiving the final certificate, the PPP must furnish the commission with �details of the existence and location of its national, regional, district and constituency offices. Ms Adjaho reminded the members of the new party that they were also required to within six months from December 31 each year, file with the commission the state of the party�s accounts, sources of its funds, membership dues paid, contributions or donations in kind as well as properties of the party and time of acquisition. Earlier, members of the party dressed in party T shirts had thronged the premises of the EC singing party songs signifying their excitement about the fact that their party was finally being usshered into the ranks of political parties in the country.