Nana Konadu first bold step for President

It will be totally absurd for anyone to expect the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to debar any qualified member of the party to contest in presidential primaries of the party even if it is an “incumbent dilemma” situation, let alone on considerations especially on the basis of gender bias, and so on. The party rules, regulation and practices derived from its constitution are explicitly sacrosanct on such a determination and application. I am glad that the form has been issued and her registration will be forthcoming. Nonetheless it is one bold step to become president.

Therefore, it will be an understatement for me to say Ms Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings is very qualified by the constitution of Ghana to aspire to be the first female president of the Republic of Ghana. Since no person can muster the enormous logistics necessary to be president as an independent candidate it is obvious that she is doing it through the party she belongs to.

Ghanaians have congratulated the NDC for stabilising and judiciously guarding democracy during the last decade of the twentieth century, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) enabling its workings and the NDC further consolidating the gains in the advent of twenty first century. So, therefore Nana Konadu following the procedures stipulated by the party, by first resigning as a vice chairperson of the party, ultimately picking up forms and launching her campaign on the fourth day of May is not just historical.

Although the Nana Konadu phenomenon has awed the country and democratic observers, enormous obstacles exist and until these; first winning the presidential primaries of the NDC, strength of incumbency, perception of “dynasty claims” instead of merit, timing, demagogical odds and gender imbalance in political participation are overcome.

Strangely for the first time in a long while since the NDC come into power the interparty rivalry of the NPP that has be riddled the Atta Mills government seems to have subsided. As the naysayers to the present government from the opposition politicians, certain media and the encouraged by frequent rebuttals of the information ministry have all adopted a wait and see attitude. For the right reasons the ministry has focused on what is the dictates of the office entails to debunk bad press since the rancour about the infamous pidgin English “All die be die” of Akufo Addo which instead could have been said with civility like just saying “hang in there.”

A statement some as a way of Akufo Addo venting his frustration for not going the full stretch after the NPP candidate asked party leaders and the former President Kufour who was already at the outskirts of the city of Tain purporting to have boycotted the 2008 run-off elections. This was a fatal decision making only to realise it was too late in hindsight how narrow the margin of difference was to become government.

It is sad though that the necessary corrections have not been put in place by the electoral commission such as an electoral college in addition to winning majority of regions for instance, all constitutional issues though. Considering the fact that the NPP or any party could have easily won the 2008 by winning just two to three regions overall to become government. Ghana does have a long way to go in terms of a level playing field for good governance, societal perception and none intimidation of political opponents.

Fast forward Apart from what have been discussed many supporters who believe that the qualities of being an intellectual, “what is called good ears on the ground,” have been praised both at home and internationally as activist for women and children rights. These are just but among a few of the strengths that will make Nana Konadu defeat President Atta Mills in the NDC primaries. The furtherance of a broader analysis would be made when this first hurdle is overtaken. Not to say that when that happens some may say the President will become a lame duck for the rest of his term.

Most people are saying that the pro-NPP media is silent because they deem the development an advantage for the NPP. In a similar vein have said it is an indictment on the performance of President Atta Mills. Whichever way the situation obviously is first of its kind and is getting fluid by the day, so it is too soon to make any judgement or call for jubilation. They strongly believe their opponent is on the path of self destruction however democratic this might sound. But others including Nana Konadu herself believe in the opposite, with the hope that all players will understand that true democracy plays by the rules. Whereas, some have long predicted a Nana Konadu win as the implosion of the NDC in the wake of its test for democratic credibility as a party.

It can only better be explained as a trend in an unflinching democracy, if two more persons apart from Nana Konadu register to contest in the NDC presidential primaries in Sunyani. Without that happening the NDC will have to live with a sharply divided party unless President Atta Mills fully and his supporters accept the circumstance and afford their fullest support to the winner or otherwise pray for the “Obama miracle.” From Tain to Sunyani could the Brong Ahafo region be where to make and unmake the President?

Source: Doe, James W.

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