Some wave it off as normal party dynamics and that once a flag bearer has been determined, all party followers will fall in line. Others have called it the most serious threat to the party’s very survival. Whatever it is, NPP-USA sees the current factionalism that has emerged following the last primaries as a chronic disease that needs to be rooted out before the presidential candidate selection process begins in earnest early next year.

Although in 2007 as many as 17 candidates competed for the chance to lead the party in the 2008 general elections, only two of them Nana Akufo-Addo and Alan Kyeremateng were able to muster enough following to emerge as leaders of factions within the party. Since then, this perceived division has lingered on often denied, but substantially highlighted during the recent Constitutional Conference in Accra last August. Of the numerous amendments that were presented for approval, the most contentious was the provision to significantly enlarge the number of delegates voting for the party’s presidential candidate.

With Nana Akufo-Addo going on record to support the measure and Alan Kyeremateng essentially sitting on the fence between whether or not to expand the delegates, the amendment quickly became a “Nana versus Alan” campaign in which supporters of Nana Akufo-Addo mostly supported the measure with Alan Kyeremateng’s supporters mostly opposing it. So high was the passion on both sides that for a moment, this observer thought the campaign was between the NPP and the deceiving, out-of-control NDC. With the amendment passing, calm was expected to return, but instead, the campaign appears to have rekindled a finger-pointing exercise between the two camps as to which was really responsible for the party’s poor showing in the last general election.

Well, enough is enough. Although the line between reflection, the first phase of the party’s strategy, and the blame game has often been crossed, the time for reflection is over. All persons wearing blue jerseys from Navrongo to Accra are called upon to join hands in the second phase to rebuild the party to put it in a position to recapture (third phase) power in 2012. Clearly we cannot accomplish the next two phases divided. Divided parties do not have a winning record when it comes to national elections. To that end, an insistence on being right that would further divide us and inevitably result in another electoral defeat reflects judgment inconsistent with the virtues of the caliber of people populating the New Patriotic Party’s membership.

NPP-USA would, therefore encourage the entire membership of the party to be mindful of the following Ten Unity Commandments and to live and act by them:

1. We all wear blue; the opponent wears green

2. Thou shalt not speak ill of anyone in blue in public

3. Treat all disagreements as you would any family matter – only to be ironed out internally

4. Adopt and respect the new ad hoc unity logo as our symbol for unity 5. The worst NPP member is still better in every way than the best NDC member 6. NPP is the party that builds; the deceiving NDC is the party that destroys. When you destroy, you are behaving like them

7. If you have something bad to say, the out-of-control NDC gives you a large inventory of material

8. Standing on the sideline is not an option

9. To recapture power in 2012, the NPP needs ALL hands on deck.

10. Indeed United We Stand and Divided We Fall

To set an example, NPP-USA has banned malicious communication from its email group. Participants on the branch’s communication forum who insist on using malicious language to make their point are first issued private warnings after which they are stripped of their ability to post messages if they ignore the warning. NPP-USA calls on all party members to unite against the opponent who are bent on destroying our beloved country.

Furthermore, the United States branch is happy that the two heads of the factions are “privately meeting” in pursuit of unity. It is our expectation that such private meetings would produce joint appearances between the two as well as joint statements issued to call their followers to order. If necessary, the NPP-USA is willing to invite the two leaders to a weekend unity retreat in the United States after which the joint appearance and joint statement would occur.