The Founder of the Progressive People’s Party (PPP), Dr Papa Kwesi Nduom has condemned the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) for engaging in what he described as “politics of stealing, bribery, and violence” ahead of Tuesday’s by-election in Talensi.
Dr Nduom, who said he was at Talensi to support his party, alleged that money was used to influence voters, adding: “What has happened in Talensi is something to be ashamed about.”
Writing on Facebook Tuesday night, he questioned where the “tons” of money came from, saying: “Is my tax money in there?”
He said whereas the PPP tried to sell ideas and engage with the people on critical issues such as education, healthcare and jobs, some political parties adopted a strategy of violence and intimidation, which he said was calculated to ensure that “the party that succeeds in showing more muscle gets the vote.”
Dr Nduom criticised the NDC for what he said was a last minute scramble to bring some form of development to Talensi in order to secure votes.
“Must it take an election for government to put up streetlights, tar a few yards of road and dress up others?” he said.
The PPP leader went on to warn that if not checked, the strategy of vote buying, intimidation and violence, which he said was deployed at Talensi, would help entrench poverty and underdevelopment in the country.
“If we let this Talensi situation become the norm, what will be the point? Politics of stealing, bribery, violence will lead to more poverty and despair in a nation with no excuse not to be prosperous,” he said.
Read Dr Nduom’s full statement below:
Is this the democracy many fought for? What has happened in Talensi is something to be ashamed about.
I was there.
Where we were (PPP) was always peaceful. There was productive interchange about what the people needed – better education, infrastructure of all types, healthcare facilities, jobs, jobs, jobs. You could see lights go on in people’s faces when we described what can be and how good and different life can become.
We could feel the poverty in the land. It was visible, staring us in the face. And this is what is fuelling the politics of stealing, violence and bribery. Must it take an election for government to put up streetlights, tar a few yards of road and dress up others?
What is most disturbing though is the money very visibly used to influence the people – tons of it. Where did it come from? Is my tax money in there?
And what happened to ideas?
Then the threats, intimidation and ultimately violence – so the party that succeeds in showing more muscle gets the vote and that is democracy Ghana style?
I got my first hint of this when an NDC man rushed up to us near the Catholic Church in Tongo to ask what I was doing there when his party had booked the place for a rally. It was a Sunday morning. I am a Catholic and was there to attend mass!
If we let this Talensi situation become the norm, what will be the point? Politics of stealing, bribery, violence will lead to more poverty and despair in a nation with no excuse not to be prosperous.
