Let's Have Peaceful Congress

President John Evans Atta Mills in a hand shake with Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings at the last congress.

A lot of water has passed under the bridge since President J.E.A Mills took charge of the nation’s destiny on January 7, 2009.

When he assumed the mantle of leadership, I cautioned in one of my articles that the clock had begun ticking and he needed to confront the development challenges facing Ghanaians satisfactorily before another round of elections came our way, if he so desired to seek the people’s mandate again.

So soon, time has caught up with all of us and even though it is not a national presidential election, it is a dicey National Democratic Congress (NDC) congress where over 3,000 delegates drawn throughout the country are meeting at the Sunyani Coronation park from today, July 8 to Sunday July 10, 2011, to choose a presidential candidate for next year’s presidential poll.

What is puzzling this time round is the stiff challenge the sitting president faces from the wife of the founder of the party and former President, J.J Rawlings. The former first lady and President of the 31st December Women’s Movement, Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings, has thrown in the gauntlet. She is the only challenger to President Mills for the flag bearer contest in the three-day national delegates congress.

Admirers of President Mills extol his contributions to national development efforts, humility, God fearing nature and his contribution to the deepening of democracy. In this vein it is their contention that he is retained to serve another four-year term to advance the country’s development.

Nana Konadu has on several occasions, however, accused the President of providing “weak leadership and presiding over an increasingly corrupt government” for a country once led by her husband, Flt Lt Jerry John Rawlings.

Mrs Rawlings says she is contesting for the position to lead the party to first strengthen its structures for the party to decisively win the 2012 elections and provide sterling leadership by striking the proper balance for a cordial relationship between the party and the government.

Given the sort of tension and acrimony that have characterised events leading to the July 9 congress, expectations of the outcome of the congress both for sympathisers and non-sympathisers of the NDC are mixed.

Some political pundits have described the congress as a family gathering whilst others insist the congress will serve as the beginning of the end of the NDC.

Indeed, some analysts have further described the congress as a make or break for the Rawlingses. Some have even predicted that they could break away and form a new party if Nana Konadu is defeated at the Congress.

In all of these, I dare say that, the key to unity after the congress solely rests on the founder of the NDC and former President Rawlings. It is obvious he has some concerns not naturally with the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) but more importantly what he calls “enemies and traitors within his own party”. Who else in NDC’s current democratic experiment does Rawlings perceive as “the enemy,” or “a traitor.” The Rawlingses also believe that there is lowering of morale in the NDC’s ranks.

However, if others believe that the NDC government is on course fulfilling the “Better Ghana Agenda” that will enhance the standard of living, then what crime has the government committed to evoke so much bitterness and anger from the Rawlingses?

Personally, two things come to my mind as a short fall in the governance structure of President Mills. First the “Father for All” accolade is idealistic and unattainable.

Secondly, I remember in an interview with President Mills during the 2008 election, he expressed grave concern about the polarisation of the country. Under his watch, polarisation exists and we are all still struggling to find an antidote. Polarisation could easily be seen between the two major political parties – NDC and NPP – and also within the NDC, the ruling party.

Nonetheless, the NDC at this stage needs unity to remain credible and a force to reckon with in Ghanaian politics.This is essential to further deepen Ghana’s democratic credentials which has already been lauded by the global community.

I am expecting the NDC as a matter of importance to set out on a healing path after the congress. As the ruling party, much is expected of them to deliver the bread and butter issues, hence, the NDC cannot fail to reconcile and unite.This is because disunity in any ruling government has serious consequences for good governance. Undoubtedly, it leaves political appointees thinking less about the real issues facing the citizenry and more about their future and how they can secure their positions.

The two contestants, President Mills and Nana Konadu must assure the nation that they will work to unite the party after the congress. Both contestants are very optimistic of victory tomorrow, but they must equally be magnanimous and gracious in either victory or defeat. They must accept the verdict of the delegates.

The perennial tradition of leading party members walking away from the party after congresses must be a thing of the past. The idea of forming a new political party once a candidate loses an election should not be encouraged at all. The NDC party will be the loser if leading members, as well as a ordinary members, defect.

Already the NDC has suffered such fate with some key members of the party including Dr Obed Yao Asamoah, Mr Bede Zeiding, Frances Essiam, Goosie Tanoh, Mr Kofi Asante, among others, deserting the party at a point in time. Though some have found their way back to the party, the NDC cannot afford another moment of desertion. This will not only be a very expensive venture but disastrous for the party considering how the main opposition party, the NPP, led by Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is turning round every stone in sight.

As a first point, the so called Rawlings/Nana Konadu Camp/faction or Mills Camp/faction must not exist after the congress. If the NDC fails to address its internal wrangling, the party will undoubtedly lose credibility in the eyes of Ghanaian electorates.

The question many are asking is whether, Ghanaians are going to witness a peaceful NDC congress where key leaders, delegates and party faithful will relate to each other nicely. I am expecting a peaceful family congress and nothing unreasonable to fair-minded Ghanaians. They must meet in Sunyani as friends today, tomorrow and on Sunday and leave the congress grounds to their various places not bruised.

After 20 years as a democratic party, the NDC as a collective must show political maturity. A lot is expected particularly of the two outstanding personalities — Nana Konadu and Prof. Mills — vying for the flagbearership post.

I also want to appeal to all manner of persons attending the July 8-10 Congress, either as participants, sympathisers or observers not to wear “T' shirts with derogatory effigies of candidates embossed on them.

The two aspirants should also deliver their addresses based on issues and avoid personal attacks.

I am happy a strong security presence will be put in place and made to contain all acts of intimidation, harassment, violence and confrontation, among others.

That in the interest of peace and unity, all cadres attending the congress with voting rights should cast their votes quietly, and together with their colleagues, refuse to join trouble makers, refuse to follow any losing party who may decide to break away or form a new party and refuse to get involved in any acts of violence, intimidation and harassment, before, during or after the congress.

I want to join many others in appealing to all cadres, factions, individuals, personalities, stake holders and most importantly President Mills and ex President Rawlings to make revolutionary compromises in order not to cause the collapse of the system they have toiled to build, since the struggle for true freedom must still continue.