THE CENTRIST DEMOCRATIC PARTY (CDP) WANTS YOU- TO GIVE BACK OUR DEMOCRACY TO THE PEOPLE Ang Partido ng Tunay na Demokrasya Our country is in a bad shape – 25 years after our peaceful revolution and the restoration of democracy. What do we have to show? hardening poverty everywhere and a growing disparity between the “haves and the have nots”; dark prospects for so many young people; weak rule of law and the inability of a soft state to protect all its citizens; a dysfunctional democracy with no real participation of the citizenry; concentration of power in the center and a highly centralized bureaucracy, neglecting the periphery of governance; and the dominance of the oligarchy in the economic life, distorting market forces – among others. The problems are with the system – not with the Filipino. The structures provide no way out of this socio-economic- political quagmire; no incentives for integrity, good performance and accountability for our political leadership; scant possibilities for ordinary citizens to be active stakeholders in our democracy. We, the citizens, have to fight for change, and need to be part of governance. Such is the essence of a vibrant democracy – and for this to prosper, there is a need for real working political parties. Political parties are key actors in a democracy. There must be at least four important preconditions toward the creation of real political parties: they need to be owned and controlled by their membership; they need to have a clear programmatic orientation & distinct platform of governance providing policy options for the electorate; they need to have internal democracy, distinct structures and discipline; and they need to involve their members and their citizens in civic activities and to hold the elected representatives accountable in between elections. Today the Centrist Democratic Party (CDP) is being established and organized countrywide by thousands of young, idealistic professionals and by Christian and Muslim personalities – from civil society, government service, the academe and the business community. CDP is run and managed by its dues-paying members and not by Patrons; CDP has a clear ideology, built on the core value of human dignity, on the guiding principles of Christian and Muslim social teachings translated into concrete and credible political concepts; CDP is a party with the mission to serve the country, not some organizers, oligarchs and dynasties looking for power and profits; and CDP has a platform of governance to address the systemic problems of the country, reduce poverty, increase competitiveness, improve the judicial system and uphold the rule of law. We, the undersigned appeal to all of you who believe in these values: Join us in this great, unique national project! Become a stakeholder allowing the emergence of a true political party independent from dubious political contributors. With your membership dues and support you will help to make it immune from patronage, enabling it to compete against traditional parties in the coming elections! Make the party strong for the 2013 elections and beyond! Dr. Jose V. Abueva Prof. Emeritus of Political Science, University of the Philippines President, Kalayaan College Amb. Jose Romero President, Asian Center for Democracy Mr. Lito Monico Lorenzana Chairman, Advocacy Commission 2006 Charter Change Ms. Jackylen dela Pena President, Centrist Democratic Movement Federation of the Philippines Fr. Eliseo R. Mercado, Jr., OMI Executive Director, Institute for Autonomy and Governance Prof. Edmund Tayao Executive Director, Local Government Development Foundation Mr. Philip Camara Convenor, Subsidiarity Movement International Gen. Joseph Taeza Afu-afu, Gandang Indigenous Peoples Organization, District 4 Bayongbong, Nueva Viscaya Fr. Sal Dumaboc Bishop, Eastern Catholic Church Hon. Serafin Bernardino City Councilor, Marikina Gen. Mercedes Foronda Dean of Instruction, Philippine College of Criminology Mr. Charlito Manlupig Chairman, Balay-Mindanaw Foundation Inc. Dr. Lily Lim President, Philippine College of Criminology Alumni Association Inc. Mr. Mussolini Lidasan Convenor, Peoples’ Action Against Corruption Dr. Nenita Manongsong Dean, College of Arts and Sciences, Arellano University Mr. Jerico Jan Bustamante President, 8th National Youth Parliament Mr. Roderico Dumaug Jr. Businessman, Cagayan de Oro and Iligan City Dr. Frederick Emerson Castro Executive Officer, Knights of Columbus Squires Luzon Jurisdiction Dr. Cecelia Garay President, R.G. Dream Homes Realty, Inc. Mr. Francisco Lindero Jr. President, Association of Government Information Officers Region 6
Posted on: Thu, 26 Sep 2013 01:26:34 +0000
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