NPP early congress proposal counter-productive - Political Scientist

Professor Amoako Baah, head of Political Science Department Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), is kicking against a new proposal within the opposition NPP for early congress to elect party flagbearer arguing it is a "panic" stricken thinking, which he said was unusual for the party touted as replete with intellectuals.

In a passionate counsel to the party, the political scientist argues the proposal is counter-productive and divisive, and prefers that the status quo spelt in the party's constitution be maintained.

Irate youth of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) besieged party headquarters where a crucial meeting was underway to decide on a proposal to elect a flagbearer first before electing national, constituency and polling stations executives.

Proponents believe if a flagbearer is elected first, the grassroots is likely to also elect executives who can best work with the flagbearer and therefore reduce factionalism.

But the proposal has been met with a growing dissent culminating in protests witnessed Thursday at the headquarters.

However, the meeting of the National Executive Committee of the NPP failed to reach a decision on the controversial proposal. It will consider it again next week and is urging greater consultation with the rank and file of the party.

Speaking to Joy News, Head of the Political Science department of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology explains the proposal is only meant to favour the defeated presidential candidate and stifle the political ambitions of others.

This, he says, is because the current national executives of the party are all associates of 2012 Presidential candidate Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo who is being encouraged to contest the presidential slot for the third consecutive time.

This is "unfortunate" he says and refers to an American example where a less fancied Barack Obama shot to stardom after he beat a favoured candidate Hilary Clinton to win the Democratic Party ticket. Obama subsequently won the presidential elections in November 2008.

"You don't set rules aside just because of convenience," the political scientist counseled. He said the party is "not thinking through [the proposal] carefully".

J.B. Danquah, a founding father of the NPP would be "turning in his grave" at this latest proposal, he said.

Professor Amoako Baah says if the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) had brought up a similar proposal, Ghanaians "would never hear the end of this". But with this proposal the NPP was proving it is no different from the NDC, Professor Baah said.