It is barely less than a year from now for Ghanaian voters to choose a new President, new Members of Parliament and for that matter, a new government. Arguably, the main contenders of the 2008 elections will be the National Democratic Congress (NDC), the Convention Peoples’ Party (CPP), the Peoples’ National Convention (PNC) and the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP).

Late last year, the NDC sat an unprecedented dignified, and an enviable record by peacefully electing its leader and Presidential Candidate in the person of Professor John Evans Atta Mills. The PNC followed religiously by reelecting Dr. Edward Mahama some few weeks ago. As I am writing this sentence, the CPP national delegates have converged at the Great Hall of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Kumasi to among other things, elect their Presidential Candidate. The NPP national delegates are expected to elect their party’s Presidential candidate during their delegates’ congress slated for December 22, 2007.

In recent weeks and months a lot have been witnessed and said about the unconventional way and manner the NPP Presidential and Parliamentary primaries have been generally conducted (the use of money and subtle Executive influence). I reproduce below excerpts from some of the events for the benefit of readers who might not have read these interesting lines as captured by some media outlets and concerned citizens.

So the question is where did they get thi s money? Never in the history of this country have we heard that a presidential candidate, who is not a member of government, has hired a plane for his presidential-aspirations campaign.
Ghanaians are raising questions about this extravagant spending, because when the NPP was in opposition we did not hear and read about the rampant splashing of money during their bid for presidential-aspirations, as we are witnessing now.
It is rather unfortunate that at the time people are crying about the harsh economic conditions in the country, people like Alan could mobilize money and splash it on delegates, as we are seeing.(source: Ghanaian Chronicle).
NPP DELEGATES BEWARE.
The NPP aspiring candidates are spending money like there is no tomorrow. Where are all these monies coming from? Are they coming from foreign interests? No individual or entity (Ghanaian or expatriate) doles out huge political funds out of sheer goodwill. There are always some sorts of strings attached. As the Americans say, “there is no such thing as a free lunch!” It does not take a rocket scientist to conclude that the party is in an auction hall, packaged for the highest bidder. The fruit does not seem to fall far off from the tree.
Aspiring candidates with less political funds and funding are practically non existent and short out of the process. Would the NPP consciously and conscientiously “sell” Ghana, oil et all to an expatriate (419 etc) and hope for a better future? Surprisingly, the party’s hierarchy seems helpless and toothless to stem the problem. Sooner or later, the free flow of money would come back to haunt the party. Delegates to the December 22 congress must not sell their conscience. Bartering votes to the highest bidder does not only sell the conscience of the party, but it is tantamount to selling NPP to NDC! (Source: J.K. Mensah. NJ, USA. Feature article of 12/13/07 ghanaweb).
NPP Congress in Jeopardy!
Mr. Hackman Owusu-Agyeman, the debonair and suave NPP Presidential aspirant has uncharacteristically lost his cool. He told thousands of FM listeners yesterday that he will not accept the "Animal Farm situation" which has crept into the lead up to next week's delegates’ congress. It was a blistering and uncompromising attack from this NPP stalwart. A clear sign that the NPP's transition strategy has run into trouble. An obviously angry Hackman was referring to the disruption of his campaign at Wa by another aspirant, Mr. Alan Kyerematen.

In an interview with local radio stations in Accra yesterday, the mild mannered front bencher from New Juaben said he called NPP National Chairman, Mr. Mac Manu and told him that "the situation whereby some of the aspirants are treated differently from others would bring confusion in the race We should all play by the rules of the game and be treated even, especially if the Air Force plane is available for renting, they should let us know."

By the campaign rules of the party, any aspirant who wants to campaign at a constituency must first notify the regional executives, but Mr. Alan Kyerematen is said to have gone to Wa with an Air Force plane (Air Force Fokker 27 aircraft, G520) without such notification. Mr. Owusu Agyeman explained that, "before you go to any constituency you must inform the regional executives, so I did that and I was given the go ahead to come. So when Alan came and the people started moving from the hotel that we were meeting, I asked them if they knew anything about it and they said no. They said that is how he is, he comes without their knowledge." (Source: The Accra Mail).

Cashman Leaves Akuffo Addo Dazed.

In a cruel punishing demonstration of how executive influence is weighing in on the side of Mr. Alan Cash, Mr. Raymond Okudzeto, the financial backbone of the North and South Tongu constituency, and founding member of the New Patriotic Party has had his delegates selection reversed ………... …… The constituency secretary for Joe Ghartey is one Mr. Obeng, and he doubles as the representative for the Alan campaign in the Western Region. Though Joe Ghartey is an alumnus of Nana Addo's chambers, he is definitely against Nana Addo's bid, and is fully clothed in the Alan mould. Over in Effia-Kwesimintsim, Hon Joe Baidoo-Ansah got elected as a delegate in absentia, amidst strong protests, implying a vote or Alan whose Ministry the honorable MP now has charge of, assuring a lone vote for Alan…

……. Going to the home stretch, it appears that Nana Addo has been dazed by Alan with a heavy helping hand from the executive. Both Mr. Boakye Agyarko and Osafo-Maafo now remain the aspirants with the capacity to hold off the Alan advance, which is certain to rock the party. (Source: The Ghanaian Chronicle)

KUFFUOR THE WALKING CONTRADICTION

Reading through his utterances both in public and private, as reported by the media, one is being tempted to ask whether the President of the Republic of Ghana, John Agyekum Kufuor is not a “walking contradiction”. Is the President under pressure to swallow his own words or he is being swallowed by the words and actions of others?

Between December 2005 and now, the President's positions on who should take what position in the Party clearly show that the President's is the epitome of double standard…
In December 2005, Peter Mac Manu benefited from the President and the presidency's decision to back Steve Ntim who was contesting the former on the national Chairmanship position. The delegates at the conference on hearing that Steve Ntim had the backing of the executive, thanks to Dan Botwe and few other “radicals”, by way of rebelling against the executive, voted for Mac Manu. ………..

Right from the 2005 conference, rumors began flipping out that the executive particularly the President was backing one particular aspirant to the detriment of the rest. Indeed, certain behaviors of a particular aspirant became clear that he was for sure enjoying some form of support from the executive. ………..

Then on the 9th of November, the President told cheering party members in Kumasi that they should not vote for a bully or someone they cannot access when the need arises. That was when he had gone to inaugurate the Asafo Interchange. Here him, “I may not meet you as I have today before you go for the congress and please, do not go and vote for a bully, someone you will not be able to access when you need him. Do not vote for someone you cannot find looking for him” (Ma mo nko to mma obi a oye patapaa, mpo se eba se mohia no a, mo nhu no… monto ma nea yerehwehwe no a yebehu no). In fact the president was in a way making known to the public what he had said at the meeting with the aspirants - the portion that Graphic did not include in that front-page article.

Then last Sunday, December 2nd, the President's address at the Kasoa rally was a complete repudiation of what he had said at the inauguration of the Asafo Interchange. Here him, “all of them are solid and are capable of leading this party. Whoever you bring will get my support and I will take him round the country to ensure that he wins.” Between November 9th and December 2nd is barely one month and the President has made two public pronouncements on the same issue, which are completely different in perspective. (Source: The Ghanaian Chronicle).

NPP IN TROUBLE OVER SELECTION OF DELEGATES

…Wenchi East Women Organizer Brutalized. …..Offinso South Executives At Each Other’s Throat. The selection of delegates to the upcoming NPP Congress is already threatening to cause a major split in the ruling party because of the entrenched vested interests of various party executives.
The trouble ahead of the party was manifest last Saturday when the Wenchi East women organizer of the party was badly brutalized as a result of differences over the selection of delegates from the constituency.
A police officer in Wenchi confirmed in an interview on Joy fm last Saturday, that the poor lady came to lodge a complaint at the police station after the assault left her bruised all over the body with bloodstain all over her dress…
In the Ashanti region also, specifically, Offinso South, matters came to a head recently when the Constituency Chairman K.K. Boafo and a former constituency youth organizer of the party, Kwaku Konadu virtually entered the ring and had a massive verbal altercation on radio over the selection of delegates to the national congress. Kwaku Konadu accused the chairman on Angel Fm of having selected his family members unilaterally as delegates without going through the due process. His accusations drew sharp reaction from the chairman and brought about a veritable deluge of abuse and invectives to and fro.
The former youth organizer revealed that the chairman has been persuading potential delegates to vote for Alan Kyeremanteng to ensure that an Ashanti retains the presidency. He said, the Chairman having realized that his lobbying was not making any impact, decided to handpick about 5 of his family members and three ex-officio members who are said to be Alan's sympathizers without the notice of constituency executives.
He accused the chairman of going to the farms and houses 90 polling station executives and manipulating them to endorse his handpicked delegates by giving them an amount of three hundred thousand cedis. The money was said to have been sent by Alan. This became the bone of contention between concerned executives and the faction led by the constituency chairman. Reacting to the statement, the Constituency Chairman admitted giving money to the people in question to have the candidates endorsed. He however described the former youth organiser as a non-entity who does not matter in the politics of Offinso South. (Source: Lawerence Kumah, Kumasi).
NPP’s BETRAYAL OF GHANAIANS
Few ardent observers of the Ghanaian political scene would fail to notice the theme of betrayal underlying the current scramble by top NPP men to become president.
Of the 18 men who have thrown their hats into the ring to succeed President Kufour, no less than 8 were until recently members of his own cabinet. All of the 8 men have chosen to resign in pursuit of inordinate personal ambitions rather than see out the second of the four-year mandate our countrymen have given to Kufour. One other cabinet member, Dr Paa Kwesi Nduom, has resigned to pursue his own ambitions as the CPP’s presidential candidate. These are gambling, scrambling for their leader’s cast-off clothes, even before he departs.
Few men, in their lifetimes, gain the opportunity to serve their country at the highest level. These lucky former ministers of the NPP administration appear grossly dissatisfied with the leader roles given to them as ministers. With about a year and a half of the four-year mandate left and the government engrossed in various difficulties, they have chosen to jump ship mid-stream. There is a clear indication in the present NPP scramble that, none within the erstwhile cabinet, recognized the natural leadership of the other; that none stood shoulder high that the rest would defer to.
On the other hand, all these men seem to be saying “If Kufour can do it, so can we.” What a testimonial for a departing leader!
But what worries the ordinary man in the street is where the former ministers, many of them formerly men of straw, found the fortune they are now splashing about as campaign money. It is estimated that by the time the upcoming NPP congress is over many would have spent far in excess of Half a Billion Cedis. Yet, that is nothing compared to the Thirty Million dollars NPP gurus reckon they require to stitch up Election 2008.
Recently a number of District Chief Executives (DCEs) were fired simply because they were unsupportive of Kufuor’s anointed candidate. Both tribalism and Islamophobia are suggested by many in the anti-Kyeremanteng camp for the lack of the president’s support for his own sitting vice-president Aliu Mahama. Certainly, non-endorsement of Mahama amounts to a vote by Kufour himself that his No. 2 man has been less than competent. This, in turn, points to poor judgment by the President. In any case, Kufour is clearly indicating that for the past 7 years he has been under-performing with a vice-president who is less than competent. (Source: The Ghanaian Lens).
NPP's Strength is Waning in C/R
...........As Agyarko Conducts Surgical Appraisal. One of the presidential aspirants of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr Boakye Agyarko,51, says the party's strength was going down in the Central Region due to the neglect of the foot-soldiers who helped the party to come to power in 2000 and subsequently retained it in 2004 .
Speaking to The Chronicle in an interview in Cape Coast on Saturday shortly after the NPP Central Regional rally at Victoria Park, Agyarko, who had relinquished his lucrative position as Vice President of the Bank of New York Bank to vie for the NPP presidential slot, told the paper that judging from what he witnessed in Cape Coast last week, indication is that the party was losing its base in the region.
"The NPP spirit that I saw in 1996 and 2000 is not the same I have witnessed presently because the foot-soldiers who died for the party to come power have been neglected thereby weighing down their spirits and enthusiasm," he lamented.(source: The Ghanaian Chronicle).
NPP RACE: ALAN’S “CASH” UPSETS HACKMAN
One of the NPP flagbearer aspirants, Mr. Hackman Owusu Agyeman is upset about what he calls blatant disregard and breach of the party’s rules of engagement by his colleague Alan Kyerematen.
Mr Owusu Agyeman is accusing his colleague Alan of deliberately and illegitimately disrupting his meeting with delegates in the Upper West Regional capital, Wa.
Hackman said he had sought permission from the Upper West Regional Secretariat of the party to meet the delegates on Tuesday, but to his surprise, his meeting was abandoned for that of Alan Kyerematen who arrived in a Ghana Armed Forces aircraft.

Mr Owusu Agyeman told Joy News’ Alex Kobina Mensah that the delegates left the meeting to get their share of the booty from Alan’s camp……….(Source: Joy FM)

THE SELECTION IS ON BUT VOLUNTEERISM IS DYING

The New Patriotic Party officially begins the selection/election of delegates for the National Congress today. The process for selecting 10 delegates from each of the 230 constituencies nationwide will end on Saturday December 8. All 36 eyes of the presidential candidates are now on the selection process……… ………Expectations are as high as a total amount of $10,000 can allegedly be earned in some cases per delegate. Whatever is on offer, what is certain is that for the next three weeks, the most important persons in the land will be the 2,300 constituency delegates who will be voting on Saturday December 22, 2007. Last year when The Statesman predicted that you would need at least $4 million to be taken seriously as a presidential candidate many though it was way off the mark. But, even some candidates who have slim chances of winning are expected to have spent so far over $2 million………..

The question is this – how did it all get this crazy? It started, in our view, by a very tiny minority deciding that the only way they could win over the NPP was to buy it with cash. Thus, over the last couple of years some concentrated on making money the issue of their campaign. The effect of this is for all the others to also raise their game in mobilizing funds.

The bottom line is that even those who are known to have made cash the main driver of their electioneering are the ones getting very worried. This is because those they thought would not be able to match them up in that department appear to be doing so.

Questions are being asked whether or not this is just a temporary aberration and that after this cash, as a main factor in intra-party contests in the NPP would die a natural death. We only wish we could be that optimistic too. But, we know that the results of the congress night will be a rude and deserving reminder to not only the majority of aspirants but to the whole country that the NPP has never been for sale and will never be for sale. The greatest fear to our democracy is what this money politics does to the spirit that drives grassroots politics – volunteerism. You kill that you kill our fledgling democracy. (Source: The Statesman).

Readers should analyze the above extracts within the context of the current socio-economic situation of majority of Ghanaian workers who find it extremely difficult to make ends meet. Readers should also be mindful of the fact that majority of the Ghanaian population live on less than two dollars ($2.00) a day. To all registered Ghanaian voters (and will-be voters) I urge you to critically and objectively examine the differences between the two dominant political parties (NDC and NPP) and find out which one really cares for the masses. You must also judge for yourselves which of the two dominant parties actually has the welfare of Ghanaians at the center of their activities. And which one is sensitive to the plights of Ghanaians. Finally, I entreat you to decide whether to vote for DEMOCRACY or “MONECRACY” come December 2008. Like the Biblical Joshua, “ I beseech you this day”, Ghanaian voters to decide for yourselves whether to vote for a truly democratic party or a “menoycracy” cronies. As for me and my household, (folks)” we shall vote for Democracy to prevail. What about you?

By: Ato Essel.

Views expressed by the author(s) do not necessarily reflect those of GhanaHomePage.