NDC likely to win in 2008 - The Enquirer

According to The Enquirer newspaper, two concluded studies suggest that the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) is likely to win the 2008 presidential elections.

The paper quotes ex-President Jerry John Rawlings as having predicted the political weather appropriately when at his 60th birthday anniversary a fortnight ago, when he said that the weather has changed so much that the diplomatic community even honoured invitations to his surprise birthday party. "The weather has changed," he said.

"Is the US Ambassador here?" Yes the crowd answered ..... "Is the British High Commissioner represented here? 'Yes' the crowed answered again. "In spite of all the things I said about Bush and Blair. Ha! Ha!, the weather has changed" the paper quotes JJ as saying at his birthday bash whilst he laughed.

The paper said two weeks after his statements, a diplomatic research and a research conducted by a multi-national corporation with business interest in Ghana reveals that after eight years of the power drought which hit the NDC, the party may see the rains coming its way in 2008.

The paper said the leaked research report whose sponsorship it traced to an unnamed embassy, said the “personal credibility of Prof. Evans Atta Mills” and the "difficult economic realities Ghanaians face", coupled with "intense internal conflicts within the ruling party" as well as "credible perception of corruption in the government" may negatively affect the "ruling party in the next election"

According to the diplomatic report "the ruling party's grassroots support base has been significantly weakened by a multiplicity of factors some real and others unfair"

The report quotes an NPP Constituency chairman as saying that they have been frustrated because their grassroots supporters have complained bitterly about the fact that they haven't seen any material benefit come their way since their party came into office.

The party executive was also quoted as saying that in some instances, some NPP supporters were compelled to "borrow money from their opponents in the NDC" a situation he said has been humiliating for them considering the amount of work these supporters did for the party in the last two elections.

Another research report conducted by a giant corporation with business interests in Ghana in respect of the future of Ghana after the 2008 elections says that "if indicators remain the same till 2008, the election will be a close call between the New Patriotic Party and the National Democratic Congress"

The Corporation's report said the ruling party will face a more intense opposition from the NDC as the NPP "cannot count on the same goodwill the party enjoyed in the last two elections. It's a 50:50 chance" it said.

The diplomatic report however indicated that "even though the NDC still suffers from serious cash flow problems, it will be more attractive to campaign financing than before" adding that the NDC may receive campaign funds from foreign countries and foreign corporations, an act the report says "contravenes Ghana's 1992 Constitution"

The NDC's organizational skills, the diplomatic report said, "leaves more to be desired as compared to the ruling New Patriotic Party even though the party has seen some new faces and a more focused target-campaign strategy"

According to the paper, the report gives the ruling party a clean health bill as far as face cash flow problems and as they approach the next elections are concerned even though the report admits that "the party's coffers doesn't register any significant cash figures" to support their claim.

"The choice of a presidential candidate for the NPP-depending on who is chosen in the party's upcoming congress may either improve the chances of the NPP or negatively affect the party's chances in 2008" the diplomatic report said.

“According to the report, very damaging documents are in circulation about two of NPP's presidential aspirants whom the report referred to as front runners. It said this could cost the ruling party if any of the two were selected at the party's congress. The report did not include an appendix of the said documents except to say "we were shown documents."