A former New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament (MP) for Birim North Constituency in the Eastern Region, Dr. William Boakye Akoto, has hinted that in the face of current unfolding events in the country coupled with the reality that party members felt disillusioned, the party could lose in the 2008 general elections.
He says unless the Vice president, Alhaji Aliu Mahama, is given the baton as the party's flagbearer, the NPP could lose power to the opposition.
“There is a stark reality that many NPP members and sympathizers feel disillusioned that the party has reneged on its promises to them. With this background, the NPP cannot take for granted the extra votes it could harvest from non-traditional supporters of the party,” he noted.
Dr. Akoto observed that the mood of the nation presently clearly points to an NPP defeat or at best a presidential run-off, unless there is a dramatic turn around in the economy before 2008, which must be supported by a candidate like Aliu.
To him, the party stands the chance of winning the elections if the Vice President is given the mandate to lead the party in the next elections.
The former MP made this argument in a statement he issued in support of the Vice President as the party prepares to go to congress to elect its flagbearer, stressing that even then, it was not going to be easy.
"However, with the Vice President, the party can consolidate the normal votes from its traditional support base, and attract extra ballots from the three Northern Regions, Volta, Ga-Adangme areas, and within the Moslem and Zongo communities,” he pointed out.
He further contended, “If the NPP should shove aside the Vice President, the party would have handed to its opponents perhaps the most powerful campaign message in 2008.”
Touching on the issues of national reconciliation, Dr. Boakye Akoto said there is no gainsaying the fact that the nation is very polarized on many fronts.
He said it was regrettable that many Ghanaians have continued to view every incident, fortunate or otherwise, through some sectarian or secular lenses.
“This has prompted many important personalities from the clergy, traditional authority, political, civil society and professional bodies to call on Ghanaians to reconcile with one another to promote peace and stability in Ghana.”
According to the former legislator, “It is to help with this quandary that His Excellency President J. A. Kufuor initiated the process of national reconciliation by supporting the work of the National Reconciliation Commission (NRC).The work of the NRC, though laudable, was specific and terminal; treated as an event rather than a process. This, I believe, could not help much in promoting the goal of a true national reconciliation.”
He argued further that consequently, regardless of how often they (NPP) have preached about the need for the nation to reconcile, the zeal to pursue it appeared to be faltering, while its ultimate objective increasingly became illusive.
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