The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has confirmed that it will finally launch its manifesto on Saturday, September 17, 2016.
The event will be held in Sunyani, the Brong-Ahafo regional capital, and will be preceded by what the party says is “a presentation of the highlights” of the manifesto at the Banquet Hall, Accra, this evening by the party’s presidential candidate, John Dramani Mahama, who is seeking a second term in office.
Last month, the NDC said it had rescheduled its manifesto launch, which was slated for Sunyani on August 27, claiming that it was incorporating ‘new ideas.’
Currently, there is heated debate over the release of manifestoes by the contesting political parties; but the heat appears to be on the ruling party to ‘lead by example’ by launching the document first.
The leading opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) has said it would delay the launch of its manifesto for this year’s elections because of the NDC’s track record of stealing ideas from its (NPP’s) manifestoes and wasting them (ideas) in the long run.
The NDC launched a manifesto at the Trade Fair Centre in Accra in 2008 but was later replaced with a new updated one with no explanation.
The statement issued in Accra and signed by deputy Minister of Transport, Joyce Bawah Mogtari – who is the spokesperson for the NDC’s 2016 campaign team – said the presentation of the highlights “is intended to give the public an insight into the focus areas of the 2016 NDC Manifesto.”
According to her, “The event, arranged as a prelude to the main launch of the manifesto on Saturday, September 17, in Sunyani in the Brong-Ahafo Region, will also be attended by representatives of International Organisations, the Diplomatic Corps, Business Associations and Youth Groups.”
The statement added, “With the ‘Green Book’ effectively outlining the key policies we have implemented and the projects arising out of these policies, President Mahama will use the occasion to explain his vision for the next four years, and provide details of the key interventions he will be implementing in his second term.”
The NDC campaign coordinator, Kofi Adams – who is the party’s National Organizer – said on Citi FM last week that the party would first release the manifesto highlights before publishing the full document.
By William Yaw Owusu