NPP Should Not Elect An Asante - Pianim

"I did not support Nana Akufo-Addo in 2008 primaries. I Supported Yaw Osafo Maafo whom I considered to be the most competent of the ministers who served under President Kufuor.

I supported Dan Botwe whom I thought was the most honest among the ministers. But when the party selected Nana Akufo-Addo, we all rallied behind him as the choice of the party and."

The above quote is part of a six page incisive interview the Africawatch magazine had with a leading member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr. Kwame Pianim. The interview with Mr. Pianim, a distinguished economist and investment consultant is published in the June, 2010 issue of the magazine and currently on sale.

Mr. Pianim then made a controversial statement that in order to ensure that the NPP is not viewed as an Asante party, he believes the Party should not elect an Asante as its 2012 flagbearer.

He said one of the five candidates seeking election as the Party's 2010 flagberaer, Mr. Isaac Osei, who is a personal friend a protégé. Explaining why he is not supporting Mr. Osei, Mr. Pianim said, "in spite of his being and Inkumsah, his matrilineal line is from Ahanta in the Western Region.

Yet, he opted to be an MP from Asante. I would have preferred that he should become an MP from Ahanta, so that we could have fielded him as an NPP presidential candidate from the Western Region.When he opted to become an Asante MP, it became a little bit problematic for me."

The Africawatch magazine then asked Mr. Pianim why he is not supporting Nana Akufo-Addo, who is an Akyem, not an Asante. Mr. Pianim's response: "I am not supporting Nana Akufo-Addo for the same reasons that I did not support in the 2008 primaries.

I think the style of politics has changed in Ghana. The Adu Boahen and Rawlings aggressive and pugilistic approach and posture are over. When the Ghanaian electorate elected President John Kufuor and followed it up with the election of President Ata Mills, they are telling us that they wanted a new type of politician, quiet of demeanour.

Ghanaians seem to want leaders who exude and portray humility to occupy the high offices of state." Mr. Pianim also explained why he is supporting Prof. Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, a reason being that "he hails from the Western Region and his wife is an Nzema. He will be a listening President and a decisive one, once the analysis and the diagnosis are done like the good surgeon that he is."