Presidential aspirants face early drop from Cabinet

NEXT year, possibly seven senior members of President Kufuor's Cabinet will be forced to step down to try their luck at winning the presidential nominations of the New Patriotic Party. This is bound to cause a major shake-up of the Government, with a little over one year to the next scheduled general elections in December 2008.

According to the ruling party"s constitution, aspirants who are members of Government should resign before filing to contest. Nominations will be opened three months before the congress. A date for the congress is expected to be set before the end of this year.

Meanwhile, additional information reaching The Statesman indicates an apparent suggestion that the President may be persuaded to reshuffle his team earlier in the year, even if the presidential primary is held much later on in the year. The reasons being put forward are two-fold: it will give the aspirants enough time to concentrate on their campaigns, and their replacements enough time to help the President deliver.

But, such a suggestion can be expected to meet stiff opposition - see Editorial. Ironically, one leading contestant is constitutionally immune from any pre-nomination resignation or removal policy – the Vice President of the Republic of Ghana. This apparent inherent unfairness will be among several flagbearership-related issues likely to dominate the NPP annual conference tentatively pencilled for December 17-19 this year.

At today’s steering committee of the party’s national executive, a proposal to postpone the annual conference to January 2007 shall also be considered. The argument to shift this year’s conference to January next year is for fear that the National Democratic Congress event to elect their flagbearer on 21-22 December will overshadow the NPP event.

But, the NPP annual conference has some serious developments to consider. Major of these, is to decide whether or not to stick to the constitutional amendments made in Cape Coast before the 2004 elections.

The instinctive posture of the Mac Manu-led party is not to tinker with the standing arrangement. However, a crescendo argument is that the framers could not have envisaged a situation whereby a possible 17 candidates would be contesting for the presidential candidacy.

And, with about 8 Cabinet members possibly contesting, it could weaken Government if the party constitutional amendment that Ministers ought to resign before filing their candidature gains adherence.

Across the democratic world, ministers aspiring to the presidency are allowed to stay at post for the party nomination and even beyond for the presidency. John Kerry remained Massachusetts senator during the primaries, the presidential election and continues after. Tanzania’s longest-serving foreign affairs minister, Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete, won his party’s nomination as flagbearer and went on to win the national contest for his party, while remaining foreign minister.

Even here in Ghana, President Kufuor fought for re-election, naturally, while still at post as the incumbent.

Yet, the argument is that, if the Ministers are going to have to resign, per the party constitution, then why not do it early for the administration to stay focused on the all-important job of ruling the nation?

But, the counter argument is, how do you determine who is actually going to contest, since what is happening now is termed as testing the pulse to gauge one’s popularity within the party?

Also, what shows that even if they are forced out in an early 2007 reshuffle, those left or those joining the new look cabinet would also not have their presidential ambitions ignited?

These are some of the matters expected to be considered at this year’s NPP conference. Other related matters will be on whether or not there should not be a pre-delegates conference system to cut down the numbers, by allowing Parliamentarians and members of the National Executive Committee to have the first go at voting, reducing the candidates to as low as three?

Another suggestion is to have a second and possibly third round of voting, with the second round having three candidates, if none of the candidates go pass the required 50 percentage mark in the first round. There can be a third and final round of two candidates under such an arrangement.

The decision as to when the annual conference will be held should be finalised today.

But, the January 2007 suggestion is likely to be defeated by the counter argument that a ruling party cannot breach its constitutional requirement to hold its annual conference within every given year because of an independent event by an opposition party.