Drama at NDC's Tema congress .....

…ET vanishes in the face of defeat

The Greater Accra regional delegates' congress of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) held at the Tema Vocational School last Saturday witnessed some excitement and drama, as members tasted democracy for the first time, after the humiliating defeat in the 2000 elections.

It is also the fact that it was the first time members had internal democratic franchise to elect their regional executive.

The atmosphere on the compound and the auditorium where the congress was held was peaceful. There was humour, handshakes and sing-songs of the NDC slogans. However, conspicuously absent were Alhaji Huudu Yahaya, General Secretary, Mr. Harry Sawyer, considered as one of the pillars behind NDC, and Madam Faustina Nelson, Vice-Chairperson.

Candidates and supporters lobbied for votes and Hon. E.T. Mensah, MP for Ningo Prampram, who led his constituency to wrestle some positions at the regional level, spearheaded his team.

Voting started briskly at about 2:30 pm and ended uninterrupted at about 4:00 pm, when the Electoral Commission (EC) representative, Mrs Lawrencia Kpatakpa, and her team and the agents of the candidates began counting the votes. It was at this juncture that the drama galore began to unfold.

As counting was going on, E.T. Mensah became very uncomfortable and quickly vanished into thin air when he realized his constituency had failed to win any of the positions they contested.

But that was not the end, Mr. Eddie Palmer, vice-regional chairman for eight years, also evaporated when he detected that Mr. Joshua Alabi, former Greater Accra Regional Minister, had beaten him by a wide margin.

The EC representative, Mrs Kpatakpa, who announced the results, stated that Mr. Joshua Alabi ascends the regional chairmanship by beating Mr. Edie Palmer. The position of the first vice went to Mr. Tackie, who polled 78 votes to beat Mr. Abayate, 58 votes while the second vice went to Alhaji Mohammed Abu.

Nii Djammah Vanderpuye collected 124 votes to beat Ernest Adanor, 31, for the regional secretary and Theophilus Ado Mills became the deputy secretary. Other positions were regional organizer, which was taken by Nikoi Addison, Alhajia Cash Amatu Kassim, deputy treasurer, Rev. Fred Adjetey Larbi, propaganda secretary.

Messrs Sheikh Yaya Kundor, deputy regional organizer, Alhaji Insah Bashiru, deputy propaganda secretary were elected unopposed.

Earlier in a welcome address, Dr. J.B. Quartey-Papafio, regional chairman, told members that the exercise was to review the performance of the party in the region and take new resolutions.

He stated that the NDC lost the 2000 elections, but that was no indication of the imminent demise of the NDC. Our party is very much alive, the party is on a sound foundation and while in government in partnership with the people of this country managed to achieve considerable successes in maintaining peace and unity and considerable infrastructural development.

Dr. Quartey-Papafio stated that the NDC remains intact in spite of the usual stresses and strains that occur in any vibrant democratic organ, adding "our party has a divine duty to organize itself into a strong organ of the multi-party democratic party and we need not talk democracy but to practice it at all levels of the party".

He urged the party faithful to recognise that the party as an organ, which enables members to serve the community rather than a means for personal gain.

Nii Djanmah Vanderpuye, secretary in his report, stated "our never to be forgotten defeat in the last general elections continues to stare our members in the face as most of them have started warming themselves up for the uphill task of taking power in 2004.

He stated that the rancour and acrimony that characterised the period before, during and after the election and selection of the presidential candidate, running mate and parliamentary candidates did not help NDC during the elections.

According to Vanderpuye, other contributing factors to NDC’s defeat include the inability to organize branch auditing and reorganization, there was no proper identification and selection of party agents, no proper coordination between the numerous affiliate groups and the mainstream party at all levels and improper handling and distribution of logistics both financial and material.