ASARE OTCHERE-DARKO

The intense lobbying started even before the Sunday thanksgiving service in Kumasi the morning after the National Conference which elected the new national officers of the New Patriotic Party.

The 2009 constitutional amendments of the NPP were well-thought through and far reaching. Apart from transferring more power to the rank and file, it introduced something that the NDC were first off the mark on – having deputies appointed for positions such as organisers from the constituency, through the regional to the national level. Thus, apart from the 10 who won elective office at the Baba Yara Stadium last month, there are still 8 important deputy positions to fill. These are two deputy General Secretaries, two deputy National Organisers, two deputy Women’s Organisers and two deputy Youth Organisers.

The fundamental reason is to use the deputy positions to fill certain gaps which the election might not have taken care of. These are two fold: first is regional/ethnic/religious or gender balance and the second is expertise. For instance, Sir John, as General Secretary may require two deputies, one in charge of administration and the other to focus on operations. The issue with having a deputy for Operations is to properly define that role so that it does not conflict with that of National Organiser. Alternatively the decision can be made to have two deputy General Secretaries with one in charge of the northern sector of the country and the other in charge of the southern sector. This northern/southern division of responsibilities is even more necessary for the position of National Organiser. The position of organiser also calls for two sets of skills: a person who can think, plan and draw up organising strategies and a person who can get his hands dirty, go down to the ground to lead the actual grassroots mobilisation, train them and keep them fuelled, equipped and motivated. The positions of Deputy Women’s Organisers give the party the opportunity to target some three female constituencies: the educated woman who is between 16-38 years of age; the rural, poor and large pool of women within the informal sector and; lastly, the significant group of religious women. One of the deputy Youth Organiser positions must almost certainly go to a young woman who can also serve as a point of attraction for young women to the party.

Unfortunately but not surprisingly, the new national officers are spending more time entertaining aspiring deputies and their lobbyists than they certainly bargained for. The aspirants make an interesting bunch: those who contested for other party positions and lost, former office holders, those who believe they can do the job but had neither the stomach or resources to contest and those who are being pushed or encouraged by potential flagbearers to presumably serve their sponsors’ interest or bridge ‘divisions’.

With Jake, the veteran campaign guru, as National Chairman, and learning from the difficulties of past campaigns, especially 2008, there is a general determination on the part of Jake, all office holders in the party and even one or two aspiring presidential candidates to keep the 2012 campaign team lean and mean, using the recognised party structures.

This means that, for a start, the constitution of membership of national office holders of the party must have the experience, competence and balance required for an effective national campaign. What would ensure every gap is filled in this equation is the appointment of deputies.

Appointment of deputies should not be determined by who the substantive office holder merely thinks he can work with; it should be about who can help the party mount a winning campaign. It is the responsibility of the substantive heads to build, encourage and maintain a working environment of teamwork and camaraderie, devoid of their personal idiosyncrasies, whims and predilections.

In choosing who the deputies must be, the last thing the party should consider is how that could help resolve ‘divisions’ in the party. That would be a useless consideration which may even come back to hurt the party. Positions of importance must be held by people who want to work with all their heart, mind and strength.

How then can the party ensure this? I believe by simply delaying the appointment of deputies until the National Congress to elect the 2012 president candidate takes place and the flagbearer chosen.

By and large, those so-called divisions in the NPP are based on who becomes the next presidential candidate of the party. Those who say the divisions are based on Akyem vs Ashanti or UNC vs PFP should stop abusing history.

There is nothing in the leadership line-up of the two defunct parties to support this. Both UNC and PFP were dominated by Ashantis. The population of Akyems in Ghana is so small in comparison to pose any serious hegemonical challenge to Ashantis. The statistics show that Nana Akufo-Addo draws his biggest support from Ashanti. The Akyem vs Ashanti conflict is a convenient lie for those within and without the party who believe they can benefit from fanning it. Let the question of who leads the NPP be settled and see how exposed the ethno-mongers would be.

That question could be answered by June (before the World Cup) or latest at the end of July. In fact, the party needs to answer that question as soon as it is practical for minds to concentrate, not only on unity, but on the more pressing issue of the fiction of non-partisan district assembly elections which take place in August.

If the idea is to get the 2012 campaign ran from the party headquarters then the choice of deputies must be informed by one thing only: those who can do the job of winning 2012.

So Jake and co should seriously consider the call to put off the appointment of deputies until the flagbearer is chosen. If the party could go 18 years without deputies then it could surely do a few months without it. qanawu.blogspot.com