In the US, Americans recently took stock of the Obama presidency thus far, and
they didn’t like what they saw. Obama’s Democratic Party got a real kicking in
the mid-term elections. With rising job losses, foreclosures and loss of other
investments, Americans are in no mood for some bit by bit, brick by brick
solution to their problems.
The extent of kicking the Democrats got in the just ended mid-term elections
clearly showed a country that is in no mood for evolution. They wanted a real
revolution – radical, bold and sharp – attempt at ending their suffering. The
Democrats lost control of the House of Representatives to the GOP in what became
the biggest win for the Republicans in 62years.
I am a social democrat and clearly not inclined to support the GOP or the
Tories, but I admire strong leadership. I admire Abraham Lincoln for preserving
the Union and ending slavery and I admire Mrs. Thatcher for the revolution she
embarked on in the industrial sector of Britain’s economy. In Tony Blair’s
words, she had done the right thing in “liberating enterprise and industry.”
A country’s economy or public sector can change gradually or sharply – it all
depends on what is best for a country at any given time. And change can happen
in two ways - by evolution or by a revolution - radical reforms and bold
decisions. What Thatcher did was a revolution – and many years after she had
left office, her virulent critics across UK parties still give her credit for
the revolution of the 80s.
And there’s one other thing I like about Mrs. Thatcher – Her courage. She was
not hesitant to buck her party or take on the man who took over from her – John
Major. In a speech after leaving office, she declared – “Judging from the
opinion polls, opposition is where the electorate is inclined to send us” unless
the Tories swung to the Right. She went further to blast John Major’s government
of tax rises and said they had failed the middle class.
Had it not been for the revolutionary approach to fulfilling the 1997 Labour
manifesto proposal to have a referendum on whether Scotland should have a
Scottish Parliament, Westminster would perhaps still be debating on how and when
devolution should happen.
Attempts to devolve Scotland, Ireland and Wales had gone on for more than one
hundred years until New Labour took over in 1997. Previous attempts had all been
but gradual. When New Labour took over, they had a bold and sharp – not slow –
plan towards bringing about devolution. And they did indeed succeed.
Gordon Brown lost the elections not because he wasn’t a decent fellow, but
because he floundered as Prime Minister, lost control of the party, dithered on
the big and urgent decisions and his colleagues hopelessly failed to rise to the
occasion and replace him when there was every indication he was leading them
into electoral defeat.
In Ghana, there’s haemorrhage of confidence in the future of the country under
President Mills. This fog of disappointment is exacerbated by the intractable
divide in the party and the president’s failure to deal firmly with appointees
who are stoking this division.
Aside the fact that there is a monumental managerial failure in the party, we
have a much bigger problem in government. The major problem we are facing as a
party is that President Mills is not in charge.
The President has quite some very good ideas that might help the nation and
party. He understands that a 21st century NDC cannot operate on atavistic
instincts; that the government would not run simply on the basis that everything
the NPP did was wrong. He understands that this kind of thinking would only
leave us opposing policies of far greater benefit to our own voters than
anything we may be offering. Unfortunately, his appointees – responsible for
dissecting policy - do not understand and can’t even translate this to the
public.
Some of the obloquy against President Mills is unfair. The truth is - the
economic mess was not his making and turning round the economy under two years
was never going to happen. The NDC took over at a time world economy teetered on
the brink of collapse. The deficit we inherited was worse than that of Greece.
It took eight years to dig the hole we inherited from the NPP and in all
probability no administration is able to plug the kind of hole we inherited from
Mr. Kufour under two years. Government should have been honest to tell Ghanaians
that it would take longer than we all would like to climb our way out the
difficulties.
NONETHELESS, in many respects Prof. Mills’ management of the economy and the
political problems created or stoked by some of his appointees have made it
worse and for that he must take the blame.
First, his choice of Chief of Staff was flawed. Mr. Martey Newman is a very hard
working man, quite a good man driven by good motives. He has many qualities but
political gravitas is not one of them. Newman is an honourable and strong
manager, but he is not a political player.
A Chief of Staff is like the spoke in a wheel - the general of the team. Give it
to someone without political gravitas and you would face political problems. The
choice of a non political player has resulted in the president’s failure to
engage with his colleagues outside government – many of whom have been accused
of irking the government.
The second is President Mills’ failure to adequately communication with
Ghanaians about the reality of the situation the NDC had inherited and
articulate government’s limitations in improving things quickly. His inability
to properly communicate is exacerbated by his aloofness and poor choice of
people to help couch and disseminate the message of government.
And of course the economic policy. Small scale businesses in the formal and
informal sectors are the lifeblood of our economy. Without these businesses, the
country’s unemployment situation would quadruple. We are taxing them more
instead of giving them an opportunity to expand and recruit by giving them quick
access to loans and tax breaks.
I think the change government is giving to Ghanaians is too slow and
insufficiently radical. When unemployment levels are higher and people aren’t
getting enough support, the last thing they want is an evolutional change.
Imagine the levels of protests and unrest we would have faced in the country in
the 80s and 90s if Jerry Rawlings hadn’t taken bold decisions on the economy and
social services considering the fact that he took over at a time when nothing
worked in the country – unreliable food supply, cocoa and timber production had
fallen; health and education in Ghana was one of the worse in the world by 1982.
What we need is a leader who would be in full control of the party and
subsequently the government. We are the party of big decisions and radical
reforms. Let’s not be afraid to be NDC enough; to celebrate June 4th and
project our heroes. The party is at a point when it has to recognise some
political sense, make changes and rejuvenate.
The same fate that befell the Democrats in the US recently(Obama dithering and
frittering away time), the UK Labour Party and many other political parties
which had fallen or lost elections could befall the ruling National Democratic
Congress if we fail to live up to our name – bold, decisive, forward looking
and revolutionary.
Ras Mubarak
mmubarak79@yahoo.com
RAS MUBARAK
+233244478267 Ghana
+447908147303 UK
+4793620491 Norway
