Race for NDC Chairmanship ....

…Rawlings moves against Obed

With almost a month to the National Delegates’ Congress of the minority NDC, reports say there are underground manipulations and lobbying for positions.

According to “The Independent”, an Accra private newspaper, “two protagonists who took the centre stage in the NDC Vice-Presidential slot saga have again resurfaced with former president, Rawlings using his influence in the party to scuttle Dr. Obed Asamoah’s chairmanship bid in the December congress.”

Dr. Asamoah is the former Attorney General and Minister for Justice and currently, the head of the NDC re-organisation team.

Reports say Rawlings told a meeting with the NDC Youth Forum, at his Ridge residence in Accra that he would have preferred his former advisor on governmental affairs, Alhaji Mahama Iddrisu as the chairman of the party instead of much favoured Asamoah.

In a move devoid of the tact subtly and lobbying, ala popular “Swedru declaration,” that go with internal politics in the run-up to a party’s delegates’ congress, the ex-president was unequivocal about his desire that the Obed Asamoah bid is nipped in the bud.

He swore to resign from the party if the delegates make the unpardonable mistake of electing the former A-G as chairman of the party, the Independent reports on its front-page page.

“Desperate not to be overtaken by the “Obed for Chairman bid”, the Independent learnt from the meeting that the ex-president said, “I will do everything possible to woo all delegates before the congress.”

“The Independent also learnt from credible sources at the meeting that a bemused Youth Forum which included former National Union of Ghana (NUGS) president, Idrissu Haruna, Fiifi Kwetey and one Bismark (all leading members of the Youth Forum) and other crack Rawlings faithfuls – E.T. Mensah, Ekwow Spio-Garbrah and Verbal Marksman, Tony Aidoo were all taken aback when the former president went into tantrums and swore to derail the Obed Asamoah bid through an orchestrated smear campaign on some selected radio stations.”

He said, “If he (Obed) thinks he can do a coup on me, I will show him that I have done two coups,” The Independent quotes Rawlings as saying at the meeting.

The Independent further gathered that the former president suspected that the party’s decision to strip him off his leader and founder positions and make him a nominal founding figure was mooted by the former Attorney General who according to sources at the meeting: “the former president is so much scared of his chairmanship bid.”

This is the second time the former president is moving in on Dr. Asamoah after his strong case for the maintenance of the co-chairmanship idea was thrown overboard by the executive council of the NDC.

The belief within the pro-Rawlings faction who are in favour of the co-chairmanship idea is that an Obed chairmanship would not be absolute.

Last Tuesday, the Legal Committee which compromises Alban Bagbin, minority leader, Kenneth Dzirasah, second deputy speaker, Alhaji Mohammed Mumuni, MP for Kumbugu, Kweku Baah and others also in agreement with the decisions reached through the reorganisation tour of the party unanimously moved to torpedo the co-chairmanship idea.

To the Rawlings-led group, the major obsession is to find any way possible to curtail the powers of Dr. Obed Asamoah who indications on the ground show has emerged as a sure bet for the NDC chairmanship.

The decision to make Rawlings the Founding Father of the party was based on a consensus reached at the preliminary rounds of the party’s nation-wide reorganisation tour, which had most Rawlings allies as an integral part of the team.

The popular decision was that as a former head of state, there was the need for Mr. Rawlings to rise above partisan politics and the only position commensurate with his current position as a statesman should be an honorary one. Sources say the former president is also worried about the cordial relationship between Dr. Asamoah and former P/NDC members – Paul Victor Obeng, former presidential advisor and Dr. Kwesi Botchwey, former Finance Minister all in the NDC regime and Captain Kojo Tsikata, former security advisor in the PNDC regime.

These three functionaries of the P/NDC who Rawlings consider as his nemesis are likely to return to the NDC in the event of Obed’s election as the chairman of the NDC.

At the height of the impasse between the Rawlingses and Captain Tsikata, it was through the magnanimity of Dr. Asamoah that the former security advisor got a place to lay his head.

Captain Tsikata’s official residence was upon the orders of the ex-president taken away from him because he had dared to ask about the sources of funding for the 31st December Women’s Movement.

A distraught source told The Independent that the mention of these three names brought intense tears from the former president. “How? How can he bring all these people back into the party I toiled to build,” a tear-drained Rawlings asked.

It would be recalled that the leader and founder positions were conferred on the former president at the NDC’s National Delegates’ Congress at Sekondi in 1998.

One party functionary described the Rawlings tantrums as the cries of a baby who is aware that he is about to lose a treasured toy, the paper says.

Based on prevailing circumstances, the party has every legitimate right to decide who occupies that position based on popular acclamation or adult suffrage.

Rawlings’s list

Other media reports say the former president has a list of names of his favourites who by indications will easily find themselves in the National Executive of the NDC.

The names of the hardcore loyalists who could help in the grand Rawlings design to fill almost all-executive positions of the party with cronies of the former president are included in the list.

Media reports say the list contains names of former functionaries of the NDC. The names that featured prominently in the media speculations include former Education Minister and current Chairman of the publicity committee of the NDC, Ekwow Spio-Garbrah, former Minister for Youth and Sports, Enoch Teye Mensah and former deputy Defence Minister, and Tony Aidoo.

Meanwhile, Dr. Tony Aidoo has denied ever attending the meeting and accordingly described the Independent story as false. He was speaking to this reporter on phone in reaction to the story.

The former deputy Defence Minister was mentioned as one of the people who attended the meeting with Rawlings and also one of the names on Rawlings's list of favourites to take executive positions in the party.

NDC set to amend its constitution

THE National Democratic Congress is to separate the position of leader of the party from that of the founder.

This forms part of proposals for the amendment of the constitution by the Constitutional and Legal sub-committee of the NDC.

NDC sources say that the likely approval of this amendment, the first after the party’s defeat in the 2000 election will strip former President Jerry John Rawlings of one of the titles.

The sources said the approval of the amendment by delegates at the national congress of the party at the University of Ghana Legon, on December 28, 2001, will guarantee ex-President Rawlings the founder’s position while the position of leader will go to the national chairman of the party who will be elected at the congress.

The sources intimated that the move was in line with the popular demands of the mass of party members and supporters and also as part of efforts to renew and further democratise the party to increase its appeal to the people.

It said the chairman would continue to function in this leadership capacity until the party again goes to congress to elect a flagbearer for the 2004 general elections, who from then takes over the leadership of the party until the elections are over.

Another area of change would be the abolition of the co-chairman positions instituted since the formation of the party in 1992.

If congress accepts the committee’s recommendations, there would be only one national chairman who would take direct responsibility for steering the affairs of the party.

The other key area slated for change at the congress is in respect of the six vice chairperson positions of the party.

The committee’s proposal is that these positions be pruned down to three as the current number is unwieldy and not cost effective.

Party sources intimated that nominations would be opened for the positions of national chairman, three vice chairpersons, general secretary and two deputies, national treasurer and national organiser. The positions of national youth organiser and women’s Organiser are elected separately by the Youth and Women’s wing of the party.

The source stated that nominations are likely to open by the second week of December by which period all the regional branches of the party would have concluded their respective congresses. Nominations, according to the constitution of the party remain open until a few hours before voting.

But even before the nominations are open, intense campaigning for the various positions appear to have commenced in earnest.

Information available to the Graphic suggests that two main groups have emerged within the NDC which would field candidates against each other for the various positions at the congress.

The first group is believed to be backed by the traditional centre of power and influence in the party and which advocates the maintenance of the status quo.

The other group is basically pro reform and committed to greater internal democracy and greater participation of its members in decision making as well as opening up possibilities for co-operation with other parties outside government in the party’s bid for power in the 2004 elections.

Party sources have intimated that the first group has on its list NDC veterans in the names of former Presidential Adviser on Governmental Affairs, Alhaji Mahama Iddrisu for the position of Chairman, Mr Ekwow Spio Garbrah, former Minister of Education for General Secretary, Mr E. T. Mensah, former Youth and Sports Minister for the post of National Organiser and either the former First Lady Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings or Mrs Sherry Ayittey as Treasurer.

The pro democracy group on the other hand is said to be led by a stalwart of the party, who is still leading the NDC’s national reorganisation exercise, Dr Obed Asamoah who would be vying for the position of National Chairman.

Other names mentioned in this group include Alhaji Abubakari Sumani, former Ambassador to Saudi Arabia and currently Member of Parliament for Choggu-Tishigu in Tamale, Honourable Ofosu Ampofo, Member of Parliament for Fanteakwa for the position of National Organiser and others whose names are yet to be made public.

Mr Iddrisu Haruna, Spokesperson of the NDC Youth Forum which has also championed the deepening of democratic practices within the party and has also been a bulwark in the defence of the NDC, is believed to be either set on contesting the position of General Secretary or that of National Youth Organiser.

The sources have also hinted that serious efforts are underway by both groups to finalise their list for the various positions before nominations are open.

These developments undoubtedly have opened a new chapter of open, democratic and competitive contest for positions in the NDC away from the previous practice of impositions and acclamations of sole candidates for positions.

Many members and supporters of the NDC the Graphic interviewed expressed support for this increasing effort at opening up the party and giving the members the opportunity to decide matters which affect its destiny rather than imposing choices and decisions from above without listening to the views of the rank and file which they say cost it power in the last elections.

The NDC members noted that this trend of affairs will not only rekindle the spirit of members and urge them on to work harder to improve the political fortunes of the party but also win more support from outside the party as it rebuilds and lays the foundation for the 2004 election.

This greater democracy and opportunity for members of the party to freely choose who should steer the affairs of the NDC according to them, would not only enhance the democratic credentials of the party but also end the practice of some people using the names of big people in the party to secure party office but fail to deliver.

“This is the time to choose only those who have demonstrated clear proof of their commitment and dedication to the party and who understand politics and can really organise to boost the chances of the NDC coming to power in the next elections,” the members stressed.