NDC July Congress, Make Or Break Affair

Indeed, the stability and progress of any political party largely depends on its democratic credentials. Hence, the emergence of the former first lady, Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings, to battle the presidential primaries of NDC with the incumbent president is a welcome call but with damning implications!

Many pundits in the NDC party hold the view that; the July congress would put to rest the feud between the two perceived camps in the party. This argument is highly myopic and detrimental to the NDC as a party.

The July congress has the tendency to disintegrate the party and can ruin the chances of the party in the 2012 general elections if truce is not called to resolve the hurling of insults and vilification of perceived opponents. Lessons can be learnt from the Koforidua congress that led to the resignation of many party bigwigs like Dr Obed Asamoah, Frances Essiam, Bid Zieden and many others. Some people may say NDC won power after those resignations, but the question is, was it simple? Also, in the aftermath of the NPP congress in 2007, the party (NPP) witnessed a major division, thus Alan Kyerematen resigned as a member of the NPP and was later persuaded to join the party (NPP) again. This division also affected the chances of NPP in the 2008 general elections greatly.

In all these scenarios, the parties went to congress united but were later divided following some squeamish in their respective congresses, how much more a party (NDC) that is going into congress that emanates out of frustration and anger of being maligned?

It must be noted that Nana Konadu’s bid to battle President Mills may just be out of frustration of some perceived vilification and malign of the founder who happens to be her husband and, she may not necessarily need the support of anybody to achieve this. Hence, the former first lady’s interest for the party’s presidential primary may just be the beginning of the many troubles the party is going to face if something is not done quickly to avert these looming troubles.

It is undeniably true that the July congress, if indeed Nana Konadu is to contest with the incumbent president, would dent the image and chances of president Mills in the 2012 general elections, very likely the floating voters.

The major compounding factor of the brouhaha in the NDC party is the followers of the perceived camps. Most of these followers are not doing well with regards to the comments they (followers) spew out to their perceived opponents. These followers may just be doing this in order to gain favour in one way or the other. Until these sycophants are called to order, cracks in the NDC would continue to deepen.

A weak olive leave was shown by the former president Rawlings when he made a statement to the effect that, people who by mere of their former closeness to his family are going round masquerading him (Rawlings) trying to be his spokespersons, that these people (former allies) should stop such things. This could be a stronger ‘olive branch’ if the president made similar statement, especially to his (president) appointees and find ways to reconcile with the former president. This is because it is only the president who can call for proper reconciliation between him the former president. Admittedly, this gesture may not be so easy, especially the followers of the two camps who in one way or the other benefit from this feud!

Finally, it must be noted that, the chances of NDC in the 2012 general elections lies solely on its unification and that the former president Rawlings is a force to reckon with in today’s contemporary politics of the country, Ghana. Hence, former president Rawlings’ absence, which stems out of frustration and anger, in the upcoming general election may not be that rosy for NDC.

Thank you