OMOV, ROPA, universal voting, etc.

By Konongo Fordjour

One-Member-One-Vote (OMOV) is an NPP designed policy intended to help its members to get involved in its voting process regardless of where that member may live on this planet. It is a party-specific plan. It is interesting to learn that the NDC is copying out and even planning to overtake the NPP in the implementation of OMOV. I am happy in my heart that our main political opponent, NDC, do not only admire us in what we do, they also pride themselves with our nobility. OMOV is good politics and I urge the entire political parties in Ghana to adopt it to bring real competition. A democracy with maturity in friendly political competition emerges as a sophisticated nation worthy of emulation.

I will take time to delve into the functions and benefits of OMOV. Meantime ROPA, on the other hand, looks at the universal voting for Ghanaian citizens regardless of where they may live on any part of the globe. Can the two be made to work in tandem during one voting season? Absolutely! Since the Electoral Commission conducts the entire electoral processes in Ghana, practice on OMOV gives them the experience needed to carry onto ROPA.

Now, let's look at OMOV from time of its introduction to date. When OMOV was suggested in 2004, the time that NPP introduced protective indemnity for certain constituencies, some members including Konongo Fordjour, sounded danger and thought universal franchise for all will be an everlasting solution. This noble idea was dismissed instantly. In 2006 we brought in ROPA simultaneously with OMOV, ROPA got the presidential accent but could not reach its intended target. Then came the 2007 chaotic primaries that spelt out our insignificance in the Ghanaian electioneering capabilities. Then again, Konongo Fordjour chipped in and strongly cmpaigned for ROPA and OMOV, but this time it was met with rage and open reproach from our immediate leaders. For example, Chairman MacManu stated plainly that: "ye re pe power, mo se ROPA" meaning when we are looking for power, you disturb us with your ROPA. Hon. Hackman Owusu-Agyemang of the "Parliamentary Experience" fame also added on that: "Abene na mo mmegye nkodi with mo ROPA" meaning it is readily cooked so come and eat with your ROPA. On a more diplomatic scene, President Kufuor dismissed any form of "Borger Votes" in Germany because of logistics. Konongo Fordjour quickly seized the airwaves and flooded the Internet with "NPP-USA will foot the bill" campaign. Our morale was boosted up when the Norwegian philanthropy voted $7-Million to help Ghana's democratic dispensation, but the would-be 2008 NPP flag bearer Nana Akufo-Addo obliterated the little hope we were leaning on when he reiterated in Ghana what President Kufuor had already stated earlier in Germany. These and a more recent utterances in our NPP-USA 2014 Congress in Charlotte, NC from our leaders show that Accra does not have the full understanding of OMOV.

In 2009, our folks started sitting upright to listen and reason in sober after the humiliating defeat in 2008. Too much background noise took precedence. We simply needed a change! NPP-USA seized the opportunity and campaigned vehemently on: "Reflect-Rebuild-Recapture". OMOV and ROPA were the main proposals. The campaign for the two, OMOV and ROPA, was becoming extremely tedious so Konongo Fordjour singled out OMOV and intensified the media and Internet campaigns. Some progress were made, the number of delegates to vote in a conference was extended from 2,300 to well over 150,000 in the 2010 primaries. The extended delegates system was much more private, friendly, and accompanied by easily reported results but our main objective - universal voting for all members living anywhere - was not achieved.

After the double devastating defeat in the 2012 elections and the 2013 Supreme Court championship challenge, accusations and counter-accusations have been leveled against party leaders, vote-buying, vote-trades, corruption, intimidation, and vituperative rants have been witnessed. These are all repetitive emotional oscillating vents of the previous practices that have affected our performances in all the past elections. The solution to all these bickerings in our primaries is OMOV. Stay wherever you are and cast your vote. Vote from your offices, in your bedrooms, in your cars, in your cocoa farms, and so forth. Have your own privacy, be productive at your work, maximize your time, and allow computers to cut off your waste. OMOV is your best possible alternative, plain and simple!

One major interesting development lately in our party is the manipulative direction of our beleaguered Lamptey-Afriyie administration in seeking second-term in office. The dichotomy of the current debate over further extending voting to the regions as against grouping delegates in one large site defined in the currupt, hopeless, and discriminatory delegates system is drawing international attention. There is one thing that Konongo Fordjour strongly believes in! That is: "Every misfortune is a blessing!" Once I strongly believe in something, I do not care if I will have to sacrifice my life for it. The regional extension strategy that our General Secretary Sir John is using is a brilliant idea that is in conformity with the ethos of OMOV. Recently, I had a bitter argument with Secretary Afriyie over the net and got booted out of the forum for challenging a sitting General Secretary in public over the same ROPA-OMOV Borger voting rights.

Today, Secretary Afriyie strongly thinks like Konongo Fordjour that extending voting from one big site to the regions will cut cost, bring privacy, and reach more grassroots to increase from the previous 150,000 voters to the vicinity of 1-Million voters or more, and possibly give him the edge of winning. Secretary Afriyie's mantra might sound like Konongo Fordjour's radicalism but once we wallow through together and reach my dream of the targeted 5-Million permanent voters along NPP way participating to choose flagbearer and party leaders, then a permanent peaceful and corrupt-free voting system will exist. In that scenario, a radical Konongo Fordjour would be better than the "do-nothing later-day politicians". Then we should all take off our hats to salute and sing together that "God Bless Konongo Fordjour".

Secretary Afriyie will further earn my instant support in the future if his regional extension strategy could include all the eligible members who voted from the polling station through the constituencies to the regional voting. This should not be problematic because the database still exists. It would have been complete with the additions from the overseas branches but the disgrace and the embarrassment some of the branches, such as NPP-USA, have caused - as confessed by the current illegitimate leaders - Accra will be right to hand them total ostracism from the exercise until they repent.

One commendable strategy that Secretary Afriyie could consider incorporating into the existing body of strategies is the use of NPP-USA IT team. The team created its credibility during the supreme court case era. It made compelling contribution on the pink sheet coding and analysis. It is familiar with election monitoring and decision designs and I strongly recommend our IT team to assist in our party's universal voting. Secretary Afriyie should also call for an emergency meeting to create our party's own ELECTORAL COMMITTEE, amend our constitution and insert it in there. The NPP-USA IT team must join the permanent Electoral Committee to maintain an updated four-year periodic VOTERS' REGISTER that will be used in all our voting decisions including opinion polls. The role of Ghana's Electoral Commission should be reduced to observer's monitoring position at the results monitor display center where candidates' representatives will finally sign-in to open the site. Voting cannot be through Internet only. We can also use scanners in the rural areas with poor transportation and lack of electricity. Simply stated, we can use several methods - both traditional and modernist - comfortable with everyone. The idea is to include all eligible members to remove corruption, bitterness, and polarization of our party which are recipe for doom.

A point of caution though: Major challenges to check in IT voting are the possibility of hijackers on the information superhighway hacking into the system and changing intended decisions into the opponents', stuffing the register, candidate cronyism, and any other possible machine errors. I am positive that NPP-USA IT can fix it all. After our successful graduation from a unified internal electoral maturity, then we can collectively (both home and abroad) demand universal voting for every Ghanaian living anywhere on the globe. This is my story!

Konongo Fordjour

Boston, MA koafordjour@yahoo.com

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