-Says NPP must reform before seeking another mandate, while NDC must deliver on Reset Agenda-
Nat’l Tymes News Desk
A LEADING member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr Arthur Kennedy, has launched a strong criticism of the party’s current direction, accusing it of abandoning its founding principle of building a property-owning democracy and replacing it with what he describes as “property looting and cryptocracy.”
Dr Kennedy said the NPP could not expect Ghanaians to return it to power without first admitting its mistakes, showing remorse and undertaking serious reforms to restore public confidence in the party.
He made the comments in an audio message from the United States in response to remarks by former Kumasi Mayor, Sam Pyne, who reportedly threatened to have him removed from the NPP for allegedly violating Article 3 of the party’s constitution.
But Dr Kennedy rejected the accusation and defended his loyalty to the NPP, insisting that his criticisms were driven by his concern for the party and, more importantly, the future of Ghana.
“I joined the party that said it aims to build a property-owning democracy. What I am condemning is that we have become a property-looting, cryptocracy party, and that is wrong,” he said.
Dr Kennedy said he had consistently raised concerns about the direction of the NPP and had submitted several memoranda to the party leadership while engaging key stakeholders on the need for change.
He said during his visit to Ghana in February, he met several party stakeholders as part of efforts to encourage the party to return to what he described as its traditional values of accountability, competence and responsible governance.
According to him, the NPP must not simply seek power for the sake of returning to government, but must first demonstrate that it has learnt lessons from its previous administration. “If the NPP does not show remorse for its misgovernance and reform, it does not deserve to return to power,” he stated.
Dr Kennedy’s comments also appeared to give the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) a measure of credit for the reform agenda it has placed before Ghanaians, although he warned that the party would equally be judged by its ability to deliver on its promises.
He said the NDC should not expect to remain in power if it failed to fulfil key commitments under its Reset Agenda, particularly the government’s Operation Recover All Loot (ORAL) initiative.
His position, however, was that the NDC should be given the opportunity to demonstrate that its stated commitment to accountability, recovery of public resources and institutional reforms can translate into tangible results for Ghanaians.
He maintained that his criticism of the NPP should not be interpreted as hatred for the party, stressing that his ultimate concern was the national interest. “I say all this is not because I hate any of the parties but because I love Ghana,” he stressed.
Responding specifically to Mr Pyne’s reported threat to remove him from the NPP under Article 3, Dr Arthur Kennedy described the position as hypocritical.
He argued that political affiliation should not be reduced to family relationships and that it was possible for members of the same family to support different political parties without necessarily making one another disloyal.
He cited the Arthur family, Jinapor family, and the family of former Vice-President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia as examples of families with members associated with different political traditions.
Dr Kennedy further argued that those who should be concerned about the NPP’s constitutional provisions were people whose alleged corruption, arrogance and poor governance had contributed to the difficulties confronting the country and damaged the image of the party.
He described such individuals as “the mafia and its enablers,” while accusing them of contributing to the weakening of what he described as one of the most vibrant political parties in sub-Saharan Africa.
The NPP stalwart also defended his personal contribution to the party and Ghana, saying he had made considerable sacrifices in the course of his political and national service.
He said he had been “exiled twice by the United Nations” while serving Ghana and the NPP and had invested considerable time and personal resources in building the party.
Dr Kennedy said his willingness to criticise the NPP should therefore be seen as an attempt to help correct what he considers to be serious problems rather than an act of betrayal.
His comments come at a time when the two major political parties continue to face growing demands from Ghanaians for greater accountability, transparency and responsible leadership.
While the NPP is seeking to rebuild its image and position itself for a return to government, the NDC is under pressure to demonstrate that its Reset Agenda can deliver the economic, social and institutional changes promised to voters.
Dr Kennedy said political parties must therefore move beyond personal attacks and insults and concentrate on issues that directly affect the lives of ordinary Ghanaians.
He urged political actors to make accountability, meritocracy and inclusiveness the foundation of Ghana’s democratic development.
“Let us stop this course of insults. No insult has ever built a bridge or fed a hungry child or built a school. Let us build Ghana based on the principles of accountability, meritocracy and inclusiveness,” he said.
Source: Nationaltymes.com
