Whiles die-hard Nkrumaists are clearing their throats to sing the requiem mass of the Conventions People’s Party (CPP), Danquah-Busiaists are beside themselves with joy.

The joyous mood in the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) springs from the disclosure that leading members of the CPP have once again decided to throw their full weight behind the NPP in the general elections of 2004.

According to a report published by “The Insight” whose editor is the Chairman of the Publicity Committee of the CPP says, “The CPP group which is involved in the consultations is apparently led by Minister for Economic Planning and Regional Integration, Dr. Paa Kwesi Nduom who resigned as chairman of the organisational committee of the party only last month.” The minister has however denied any such involvement.

“Dr. Nduom is the minister for Economic Planning and Regional Integration in the NPP government and is on record as saying that there are no ideological differences between the NPP and the CPP.

NPP sources say the CPP group has requested for their support in only 17 of the 200 constituencies in exchange for CPP support for the NPP’s presidential candidate and parliamentary candidates in 183 constituencies.

Under the proposals, which have not been discussed in any of the formal structures of the CPP, the party will not field a presidential candidate and will put up only 17 candidates in what is described as its strongholds.

The NPP is also to be pressurized into appointing the CPP parliamentary candidates as District Chief Executives to enhance their chances of winning the 2004 elections.” The position of the CPP group is that the party does not stand a dog’s chance of winning the 2004 elections and should therefore adopt a strategy, which will increase its representation in Parliament.

There are however many problems with the proposals which have been made to the NPP. “The first problem is that they don’t have the approval of the formal structures of the CPP like the Central Committee, the National Executive Committee Regional branches.

The second problem is that although the CPP has signed a merger agreement with the National Reform Party (NRP), the pro-NPP group has failed to consult the leadership of the NRP on these proposals.

The proposals don’t appear to have even a slim chance of being accepted by the CPP because of a number of factors. First, most Nkrumaists are more inclined to the unity of the Great Consolidated Popular Party (GCPP), People’s National Convention (PNC) and the National Reform Party (NRP) and the Convention People’s Party (CPP) than to the building of an alliance with the NPP.”

According to the report, there is still a considerable bitterness about the treatment meted out to CPP candidates by the ruling NPP in the Great Alliance forged between the PCP and NPP in 1966.

“Three weeks ago, the NPP issued an official statement which accused the CPP, the PNC and the Socialist Forum of Ghana of subversion. It is not clear how the NPP intends to forge closer ties with the CPP whiles still accusing it of subversion.”

Many Nkrumaists were deeply angered by the statement signed by the press secretary of the ruling party, Kwadwo Afari. In response, the Socialist Forum of Ghana described the statement as a mark of the intolerance of the NPP and urged all progressive forces to intensify the struggle against the neo-liberal policies of the NPP. Over the last 19 months there have been serious disagreements between the NPP and the CPP.

The CPP was opposed to the Kufuor administration’s decision to opt for HIPC and warned that it could have dire consequences for the national economy. The CPP is also opposed to the unbridled privatization of state enterprises especially the Ghana Commercial Bank (GCB), the Ghana Water Company (GWC), the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) and the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR).

“The CPP has also opposed the astronomical increases in utility tariffs and called upon the government to keep its electoral promises of subsidizing agricultural inputs, abolishing the cash and carry system and improving access to education for the poor. Well informed independent observers say that the NPP-CPP alliance is doomed to fail.”