Ghana: Smaller political parties discredit both main parties

Ghana's smaller parties have also joined the debate, seizing upon the opportunity to discredit the two main parties. Dr Papa Kwesi Nduom, whose Progressive People's Party (PPP) was formed in January after he broke away from the Convention People's Party (CPP), said that the “violence, anger and divisive behaviour exhibited by the NDC and the NPP over the past month” should encourage Ghanaians to look elsewhere for their leadership. “Many are afraid of what will happen in December if either one of the two parties somehow won the presidency. Ghanaians want to protect the peace and stability we have all sacrificed to establish,” he said in a statement. Nduom begins a nationwide tour of the ten regions this week to “assess the biometric voter registration exercise” and drum up support for the PPP.

Bright Akwetey, who recently began his campaign to become the presidential candidate of the CPP, which was created by independent Ghana's founding father, Kwame Nkrumah, said that corruption among the major political parties had been a deciding factor in the setback of the country's development.

Meanwhile, the NPP candidate, Ursula Owusu, has challenged the police to provide proof of their claim that she refused to co-operate with them. This followed a statement by the police's acting public relations officer, Sergeant Kwabena Danso, that Owusu has yet to respond to an invitation to help with investigations into her assault at Odododiodoo. For her part, she told Joy FM that the police are simply covering up their own inaction. “…I just want to assure them that I have no intentions of letting this case go,” she said.

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

© 2012 Menas Associates

Ghana: Small parties may hold 2012 election balance of power

If, as seems likely, the December 2012 presidential election goes to a runoff - between the National Democratic Congress' (NDC) incumbent John Mills and the opposition NPP's Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo - then the disorganised and mainly leftist smaller parties could be important in deciding the outcome. This is why the two are energetically wooing them and why the NDC, which has many Nkrumahists in its ranks, probably has an advantage.

The oldest, but no longer the largest, Nkrumahist party is the Convention People's Party (CPP) which is chaired by Samia Nkrumah who is the daughter of Ghana's founding president, Kwame Nkrumah. Samia is the party's only MP and complains that it is disorganised: 'But, somehow, having an election every four years limits our ambitions.'

She is supported by Dr Agyeman Badu Akosa but they have now clashed with the party's former presidential candidate Paa Kwesi Nduom (see story below). He flounced out of the party on 27th December and is starting a new one on whose ticket he will run for the presidency. This year he may use his own considerable funds to support over fifty aspiring MPs.

The other Nkrumahist party, the People's National Convention (PNC), has four seats in parliament and could hold the balance of power. It is, however, divided between a group led by Somtim Tobiga, and the mainstream faction which includes Edward Mahama and the party's general secretary, Bernard Mornah.

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

© 2012 Menas Associates

Samia Yaba Nkrumah appointed as first female leader of a Ghanaian political party

Daughter of Ghana's first president Dr Kwame Nkrumah, Samia Yaba Nkrumah has been appointed the chairman of the opposition, Convention Peoples Party (CPP), after winning a 10th September poll at the party delegates' congress in Accra.

Nkrumah polled 1,151 votes to beat three other candidates including the incumbent Ladi Nylander who only received 353 votes. Former party chairman Prof Edmund Delle won 332 votes while, Bentsi-Enchill received only 10 votes.

Nkrumah, the CPP's only MP, is the party's first female chairman and the first female leader of a political party in Ghana.

The incumbent general secretary, Kobina Ivor Greenstreet, retained his position polling 716 votes to beat his closest contender Nii Akomfrah who received 672 votes.

The other winners include:

Seth Gomnah - National Treasurer - 1005 votes
Abu Forgor - National Organiser - 1093 votes
Mary Ankumah Boackye-Boateng - National Women's Organiser - 917 votes
Murtala Mohammed - National Youth Organiser - 802 votes.

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

© 2011 Menas Associates