Rawlings Should Campaign In 2012

I have the feeling that former President Rawlings will not be involved in the NDC campaign in the 2012 elections. This is because he does not have the motivation to do so. Rawlings was heavily involved in the 2008 election campaign because he was desperate to get the NPP defeated for so many reasons including Kuffour government’s persecution and prosecution of him and his family and NPP’s open show of arrogance and corruption. He also wanted his NDC to win so he could exercise some control of government and, therefore, events in the country and exact some form of revenge. I hope I am wrong.

He was able to get NPP to be defeated and NDC to get into power but has so far failed to have the control he and his wife wanted over the party and it is so frustrating to him. Rawlings is not used to intra-party democracy. After metamorphosing from autocratic rule into democracy, he is feeling very uncomfortable because he is not used to democratic rule where his opinion will be one of many and where a majority of people in the party he formed can reject his directives.

Rawlings had always wished for a “democratic centralism” in the NDC where the individual obeys organizations, ordinary members obey superiors, and the whole party obeys the central leadership led by him the founder of the party. But Rawlings should note that after over two decades of the democratic development in the NDC, “democratic centralism” has become obsolete and the earlier he got used to it the better it will be for all of us, the party and his family.

There is no concept of “central party” in the context of inner-party democracy that has been developing in party for all these years. Those days when a few people will constitute themselves into the leadership of the party and will appoint the leaders by secret negotiation or Swedru declaration are over, as well as founder’s directives to the government and party leaders for implementation without questions. The existence of a top-down and core-periphery power structure is over. A centralized party system cannot be considered democratic and all those who profess to be democrats should note that.

Secondly, all the followers of the NDC in particular and Ghanaians in general appreciate former President Rawlings’ historic role in the formation and development of the party. We also appreciate his concern with certain political and administrative issues in the party. I personally admire his ability to let his feelings known no matter how people will interprets or see them. That shows the concern of a founding father and former President.

But President Rawlings, those around him, the NDC executive committee and the Mills administration should be very careful with their pronouncements particularly in an elections year. The suggestions that some members of the party are more important than others are not healthy. Parties like any institution develop by becoming attractive to the general population and particularly independents. It is the objective of all parties to acquire new members particularly those who will commit themselves to the party’s programs, and it is the responsibilities of the old members not to lord themselves over the new members. Every genuine party member, old or new, appreciates the contributions of old party members and founders that is why they join the party and most don’t expect special privileges or are not in because of what they will get. So it is important for old party members not to be openly concerned with their privileges and honour.

An important dimension in assessing whether a party develops in a democratic way is whether the membership of a party is a result of voluntary involvement or is subject to others’ decisions. During elections in Ghana, though public representatives is guided by the policies and decisions of parties, we do not or at least aspire not to vote for political parties; we vote for individual people who happen to represent a specific political party. Therefore, voluntary involvement with a party, or acquiring a membership to a party, is one of the key civil rights for every party member and common citizen. The loyalty of a member to his political party should not, therefore, depend on punishments or benefits he receives from the party particularly in an election year. People should be recognized based on their contribution to the process and their submission to group discipline but not necessary their allegiance to one person. The revolution that led to the formation of the party demanded differences in opinions on programs so long as principles are not compromised and the party is expected to follow that path.

President Rawlings should note that his time in executive position is over. The party structures were set up to move on after him and they are supposed to work independent of him as a person and all of us, if the party is to be considered successful. We have not reached the stage in the party and in the country where the system will be able to work perfectly and no one government in one regime can do all needed things. He President Rawlings could not do that when he was in power and it will be too much if he expects anybody else to do that.

First of all it is impossible to build a perfect system and as a developing country with meager resources, (despite our too known middle income status) it will be too much to expect a perfect government and perfect implementation of programs if even the programs are perfect. President Rawlings should be reminded that parliamentary democracy means consensus building through negotiation whilst fighting for the right thing. There is no way any one particular person or government can have all its way in a constitutional democracy. It is too idealistic and extreme to think that any one group can win all. What we have to do is to ensure the integrity of the system and keep building on the system to ensure the achievement of the aspiration of the masses and to propel the process to a higher stage. This will need patience, foresight and awareness from everybody particularly the masses of our people. We cannot be too revolutionary than the process. It did not work for us in the early part of the revolution and it will not work now.

So it is okay and in fact it is expected of President Rawlings and Nana Konadu and their spokespersons to criticize but most importantly advice party and government on issues but it is not okay to make it difficult for them to organize and govern the way they see fit including the right to ignore their advice. President Rawlings is the founder but not necessary the owner of the party. In life, nobody can have control over his or her children throughout their life. Therefore, it will be a mark of the failure of the leadership of the Rawlingses and the system if their successors and party apparatus cannot stand on their feet and have to depend on them even after they have retired or no more in administrative and executive positions in the party.

I am, therefore, entreating President Rawlings to soberly reflect on the struggle he and the party have gone through up till now and the achievement so far. They have done great and history is the witness. Whilst not compromising on principle, we can compromise on programs so long as it is line with the goals and aspirations of the revolution. So it is not acceptable if the impending campaign process is organized in such a way that it will in the end breed divisions and set the revolution process back. All hands are needed and expected on deck.

The NPP is the same yesterday, today and will be the same tomorrow. They did not and still do not like Kwame Nkrumah and Jerry John Rawlings and they are desperate to come to power. It is said that when the tigers falls into a pool of water, it only gets wet but does not lose its spots. If the Rawlingses think some NDC members do not respect or like them, they should wait to see what will happen when NPP comes to power.

There is nothing like home, President Rawlings. We have gone through too much and lost too many good people on the way to abandon the ship right now. Look for your campaign boots and gears. We have work to do.

Kwame Yeboah

gyeboah@harding.edu