Professor Edmund N. Delle, former National chairman of the Convention Peoples Party (CPP), on Tuesday projected the institutionalization of “Intra-party aspiring flag bearers’ Dialogue Platform”, to ensure healthy competition among the contestants.
Speaking to newsmen at Tamale after touring some parts of the Northern Region to interact with party faithful and delegates to the July Congress, Prof. Delle noted: “A major contributor to CPP’s abysmal performance in the Fourth Republic has been our failure to blend after internal contest.
“We have operated politics of isolation, the ‘we against them syndrome’ where the winner, either at the national executive platform, regional or constituency levels or flagbearer contest, totally neglects the valuable potentials of our opponents.”
Prof. Delle, who is aspiring for the position of National Chairman and Leader of the CPP, noted that the Intra-Party Aspiring Flagbearers’ Dialogue Platform idea sought to offer an enabling environment for the candidates, their campaign team and foot soldiers to discuss sensitive issues.
“Most often we create enemies based on speculations, mischievous people, who take advantage of the campaign environment and sow seeds of discord among us, as well as media propaganda gimmick,” he said.
Prof. Delle said the platform would offer all contestants room to deal with any burning issues in a cordial environment and support each other.
He said since no single individual can achieve this, such an exercise requires “all hands on deck” to enable the party to make good use of the skills and resources of its members.
On the rationale for his comeback bid, Prof Delle, said: “I see myself as the logical choice for the party’s chairmanship and have, accordingly, responded to the call to serve the party once again in that capacity.
“I have, therefore, developed a document dubbed: ‘The ORS Blueprint’, which outlines prospects for a re-branded CPP that is well energized and poised to re-capture its past political glory.” ORS is the acronym for Overhauling, Replenishing and Success.
The document explains that considering the crucial nature of next year’s general elections as the CPP seeks to redeem its dwindling electoral fortunes and reposition itself as a formidable political force in the country, it has become imperative for the party to have a more experienced, committed, competent, visionary, resourceful, principled, independent-minded and results-oriented leader who can mobilize unite the members and marshal all the necessary resources, both human and material, to contest and make a strong impact in Election 2012.
The ORS Blueprint is a brief outline of the strategies that he seeks to, first, sell himself to the delegates of the CPP towards the national delegates’ congress and, second, adopt for success in the 2012 general elections.
Prof Delle said: “I am the most affable and politically mature person with an impeccable reputation in both private and public life. I have international exposure and I am highly connected. I have high diplomatic negotiation skills and ability to work with every Ghanaian irrespective of one’s political background.
“As delegates, you should look beyond monetary considerations when deciding who should occupy executive positions in the party because our focus should be on choosing capable men and women of integrity and acumen to lead the party to electoral success.”