By Isaac Arkoh
Winneba (C/R), Aug 24, GNA – Mr Fifi Kwetey, the General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), says the Party’s 2024 manifesto is built on steadfast principles and veracity rather than mere “promises” that may prove unattainable.
He said the December 7 election went beyond ‘sheer volume of promises’.
Speaking at the NDC’s manifesto launch at the University of Education Winneba on Saturday, the General Secretary cautioned against a situation where the political landscape degenerated into a mere competition to out-promise one another.
“Today, we are prepared to unveil policies that will rekindle hope for our nation, guiding it back on track towards reclaiming its rightful position,” he stated, adding that reducing Ghana’s democratic process to a mere contest of who could offer more promises would be detrimental to Ghana’s democracy.
According to him, if the political race was solely about promises, the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) could easily excel in such a competition as they frequently introduced ‘innovative vacuous pledges’.
He humorously criticised the NPP for its inclination to make alluring promises solely to secure political power, advising voters not to be swayed by ‘hollow and facile’ assurances.
“We must exercise prudence to ensure that the pursuit of power does not deteriorate into a simplistic battle of who can make grandeur promises.
“If it is merely about promises, we, in the NDC concede that we cannot rival our counterparts in the NPP,” he remarked.
The General Secretary said the previous NDC administration left a robust economy, with two oil fields and a thriving manufacturing sector that had since stagnated.
However, he said the NPP had thrown the nation into ‘disarray’ after almost eight years in power.
“As we were transitioning out of office in 2017, we handed over to our counterparts in the NPP a robust economy characterised by sustainable public debt, with a debt-to-GDP ratio of 55.6 per cent.
“Moreover, there was a steady credit rating of B-, a minimal budget deficit of 6.1 per cent, and a decreasing inflation rate hovering around 15 per cent,” he said.
GNA