NDC to take part in Jubilee Anniversary Parade

Accra, March 4, GNA - The National Democratic Congress (NDC) on Sunday
formally declared that it would take part in the Jubilee Anniversary
Ceremony, putting to rest speculations that the Party would be
boycotting the national celebrations.
Flanked by some Party Executives at a press conference organised
at its Headquarters in Accra, Dr Kwabena Adjei, Chairman of the NDC,
declared: "On behalf of the NDC, let me formally inform the nation of
Ghana and the whole world that a delegation led by NDC Flagbearer,
Prof. John Evans Atta Mills will be at the Ghana @50 Parade at the
Independence Square on March 6th 2006."
However, he said, the delegation needed the assurance of the
National Security that all its members attending the anniversary
parade would be safe.
The NDC further said the delegation needed the assurance of the
State Protocol that a secured sitting arrangement would be made for
the number of NDC officials that have been formally invited to the
parade.
"The NDC delegation needs the assurance of the national security
apparatus that NDC sympathisers and supporters, who would attend the
parade will be treated with civility as Ghanaian citizens", Dr Adjei
stated.
He said that the Party had been reliably informed about "plans to
deliver hell and brimstone" on NDC supporters at the Ghana @50
anniversary, and warned that the "occasion is no place and time for
political embarrassment, harassment, intimidation and bigotry".
The NDC Party Chairman said the overriding reasons for the
Party deciding to lend its presence to the anniversary parade are "the
love and respect we have for our dear Motherland and Party and to show
that the NDC is politically matured.
"The agenda of Ghana would always be bigger that the agenda of
any political party and that is the pledge the NDC wishes to
re-emphasize in unambiguous terms as Ghana attains 50 years
post-colonial freedom", he said.
Dr Adjei, amidst cheers from Party supporters, stated that it was
important that the present Government understood that March 6 of every
year was a "Ghana Day" and not a day for the incumbent government of
Ghana.
"As a Ghanaian political Party, the NDC would, therefore, not
allow any group of people to hijack March 6 and push it to a point
where we would be forced to show disrespect and irreverence to our
past heroes, our invited guests, our national symbols and the Golden
Jubilee itself", he said.
The Party thus appealed to all its members, supporters and
sympathisers to understand and support its decision to send a
delegation to the March 6 Parade, even though they had made passionate
appeals to the Party to boycott the anniversary celebration.
5 March 07