Ghana: Smaller political parties confront allegations

Officials of the opposition Convention Peoples Party (CPP) claim that they have discovered a “grand plot” to “destabilise” and bring down the party's new leader, Yaaba Samia Nkrumah. This is allegedly being done by attempting to organise and obtain petitions to bring forward the party congress and hold an extraordinary session to select new national delegates. Meanwhile a senior party member, who was responsible for grassroots activities overseas, has defected to the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), launching into a speech in London in support of his new party while also savagely criticising the New Patriotic Party (NPP) opposition.

The CPP is not the only small party suffering from internal conflict. According to news reports, leading People's National Convention (PNC) members have filed a writ at Accra's high court against the PNC's current leadership. They claim that voters at the party's 2007 national congress – at which Dr Edward Mahama was elected - included “street thugs” paid by the latter's associates to ensure his victory in the party's elections. The writ also claims that Ghana's Electoral Commission failed to provide adequate supervision at constituency elections.

On the national level, last week's comments by President John Atta Mills that the 2012 elections would be critical, and even a “test case” for African democracy, were followed by an announcement by USAID's director that it would partner local Ghanaian civil society organisations to assist the “participation” and “inclusivity” of the elections.

For more news and expert analysis about Ghana, please see Ghana Politics & Security.

© 2011 Menas Associates