Ghana is enjoying an active significant growth and experience in politics and democracy after the fourth republic where three successful presidents have emerged through peaceful elections unlike the 1st to 3rd republic where Ghana suffered a lot through military interruptions, coup d’états and the likes.
Like many renowned developed democratic countries such as USA, UK, Australia, etc, Ghana can boast of about 20 years of smooth democracy in the 21st century where two parties NDC and NPP have dominated the political arena of the nation. Each of these two parties with its own political strategy and government agenda. With these two parties having strongholds in the country and each having had the opportunity to lead the country, one would be very informed in terms of analyses and projections for the future.
It is in no doubt that with each party, leaders emerging or contesting for flagbearership position have been those the party normally expects due to various reasons such as contributions in the past, fame, popularity, etc.
As said earlier on, politics and democracy after the fourth republic in Ghana have known the men to be the main actors in the scene of flagbearership and presidential candidateship. One would therefore wonder the sudden emergence of Mrs. Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings, a noble former 1st lady in the scene of active politics seeking to be the flagbearer of the NDC with many reasons involved which is really reserved for the campaign team of FONCA, I have taken the pain to critically analyze and dissect, and have found out the reasons of Mrs. Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings emergence in current position in the NDC and below are details of that:
Firstly, I would like to explain how Mrs. Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings strategically appeared in current scene. In last year’s executive elections of the NDC, Mrs. Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings strategically contested for the position of Vice president and won massively with no doubt, and there the Flagbearership Test was successful. Now let us follow with the main reasons.
Sustainability of the NDC: With reference to the CPP and their lost of votes and supporters after the overthrown of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, the Rawlingses have thought it wise to maintain the NDC by strategically positioning Mrs. Rawlings at the presidential upfront. This is to say that it is really a way not to lose the name and fame of the Rawlingses in Ghanaian politics. Ghanaian politics as in some other developed countries have been dominated and exhibited by name, fame and political stability. With much to add to what is said earlier on, the CPP refused or made a mistake not to strategically position the family of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah in the political arena of Ghana and as a result, the CPP has really suffered the consequences of such overlookings and mistakes. In direct relation to Samia Nkrumah, daughter of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah who is the current MP for Jomoro, it is of fact that she won her seat because of the name and fame of his father and not mainly the CPP party she belongs and emerged from. Ghanaian politics have been blessed with special emerging names and leaders who have really taken the lead in winning the hearts, minds and total support of many in Ghana. And it is of no doubt that former president Ft. Lt. J.J Rawlings is one of them in our current generation of politics and it would not be too wrong to put the political fame of Rawlings in Ghana in the same level peg with the 1st president of Ghana, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah.
Clearly, Mrs. Rawlings has really emerged to sustain the support of the NDC in Ghana through keeping the name and fame of the Rawlingses. It can also be strongly argued that anybody who is a true supporter of the NDC is really a fun of former president Ft. Lt. J.J Rawlings although many would try to deny this fact, but I believe their hearts and minds cannot forgo that. Ft. Lt. J.J Rawlings has really been the foundation of the NDC aside being the founder and it is also undeniable fact that he in reality captured the support and votes of the then frustrated and lost supporters of CPP who actually needed a new hope in a new inspiring person like Dr. Kwame Nkrumah.
The NDC especially the founder and the camp of FONCA might have analyzed and realized the downfall of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah and the CPP and as a matter of fact really believes the only way to save the current and future situation of the NDC and avoid what happened to the CPP is to bring no other person than her own wife who actively participated in Ghanaian politics during the presidency of her husband and led many initiatives like the 31st December Women’s Movement and others.
As a political strategy to maintain and sustain a political party as many countries have done, for example in the USA where the former president Mr. George W. Bush son of former president Mr. George Herbert Walker Bush was promoted in the politics of US and won the seat of presidency eight years after his father and Mrs. Hilary Clinton, the wife of former president Mr. Bill Clinton was brought to the top of the political ladder eight years after the presidential rule of his husband to contest for the flagbearership position. Also, in la Cote D’Ivoire, Mr. Henri Konan Bédié the son of Mr. Félix Houphouët-Boigny was brought into the presidency level after the presidential rule of his father and in Togo where Mr. Faure Gnassingbé the son of former president Mr. Gnassingbé Eyadéma was also brought into presidential position after the rule of his father, and many others.
Strategic position for 2016: Mrs. Rawlings and her campaign team might have known very well that they would not win the flagbearer position for 2012 elections but I strongly believe their campaign now is to market Mrs. Rawlings to the party and the entire nation to buy easily and readily for 2016. Looking critically at the future political scene of Ghana, it in no doubt that Mrs. Rawlings is the only new image that have really emerged from nowhere to strategically position herself with greater opportunities in 2016 elections. Many are arguing that President Mills will definitely win the upcome flagbearership position of the NDC and win handsdown in 2012 elections, but has anyone considered what would happen after President Mills has served his 8 year term successfully as president of Ghana. With current projections and happenings in the NDC and Ghanaian politics, I strongly believe by 2014, Mrs. Rawlings might have gained a lot of fame, support and appreciation in the entire nation that would pave her way through for the 2016 elections.
The Oracle of Name for Presidency in Ghana. Politics in Ghana have irrefutably, someway and somehow been manipulated by the name one bears which I would call oracle of name for presidency. Drawing our minds back to the beginning of the 4th republic in 1992 to date, we would all agree that the name John has appeared and been recorded in the president’s sheet of Ghana where even in 1996, the President and his Vice had the name John and not much surprising, the same name John has appeared again in the President and Vice-President’s sheet of current government. Moreover, it cannot be disputed that the Vice president from 2001 to 2008 bears the name Mahamah and the current Vice President also bears such name Mahamah.
With these emphases, I believe the oracle of name for future presidency of Ghana might have been changed by someone to Nana. Unlike in 1991 when someone commanded the name of John for presidency in Ghana. The NDC specifically the camp of Mrs. Rawlings might have been smart enough to realize this just as the NPP was smart for that in 1998 where they made a good move to bring Former President John Agyekum Kuffour into the competition and won. To add to that, the NDC with its founder and wife are making this sharp turn in order to control the oracle with its system of rule in Ghana. In real fact, it is no wonder that on June 4 this year, the Founder of the NDC proudly mentioned her wife’s name several times at the gathering in Kumasi emphasizing on the name “Nana”.
Furthermore, in 1992, the name John was commanded for the presidential seat of Ghana and the NPP being so wise in the year 2000 had to respond to that and I strongly believe it was part of their victory. The NDC realized this and also responded later on with two Johns to reflect their victory in 1996 with two Johns in 2008 and not forgetting also responding with a vice prez who also bears the name Mahamah.
Who knows, maybe this oracle of John might have been changed after the year 2010 to the name Nana and the NDC from the camp of the Rawlings’s want to be very wise to respond to the command and control the system with Mrs. Nana Konadu Agyemeng Rawlings.
Win the Support and Stronghold of Women. Gender is very important in all cases of national development. Likewise is it very important in political development and stability. Women in Ghana have had various roles to play in the active politics of Ghana since Ghana gained independence and most especially after the fourth republic. Women own greater population in Ghana as various statistical information in Ghana has proven, hence, their importance in politics is worth noting. As a political strategy, Mrs. Rawlings and the 31st December Women’s Movement was used to persuade the women in Ghana during the presidential rule of her husband. The analysts, campaign strategists and party advisors of Mrs. Rawlings might have realized the inspirational impact of Mrs. Rawlings on women and the end results of women support for the party especially during national elections. Looking critically at the emergence of Mrs. Rawlings in the current contest in the NDC as the only person and not just a person but also as female and a leader of the 31st December Women’s Movement, I must state emphatically from an analytical point of view that Mrs. Rawlings is coming to revive the support of women for the NDC and also maintain their long term support with their impacts as the strongholds for the party.
Reconciliation of the Ashantis and their support for the NDC. Politics in Ghana is supposed to be devoid of tribal sentiment and degradation but it can clearly and truly be appreciated that tribal politics is on the grounds when it comes to support of the two leading parties in Ghana. NDC has rarely seen and received massive support from people from the Ashanti Region of Ghana since the inception of the 4th republic. Many people from that region do not vote for the NDC since 1992 elections as they believe not to have any relation with the party on the basis of tribal sentiment. As we would all agree that Mrs. Rawlings is an Ashanti and as a matter of fact, there is no doubt that she launched herself to contest for the flagbearership of the NDC through that region and this is to attest that she has been brought into the scene to prove to her own people that people like them have open doors and rooms, and hope in the party. This is to say that she is apparently arriving to clear the minds of many electorates who are Ashantis on their perceptions and non-support for the NDC and win them for good.
Analyzing critically, in recent past, the NDC and the Rawlingses have been holding much of its functions in the Ashanti Region-kumasi and this is to say that it may have a vision and mission to enhance the support of the NDC party in that region. For example, at the June 4 celebration this year and the speech of the Founder of the NDC in Kumasi, one would realize how Mrs. Rawlings have been positioned and brought into the arena to win the support of the Ashantis.
Set up the pace for women to take up positions in Government (presidency). This could be the least thing and reason Mrs. Rawlings considered herself when she decided to contest for the flagbearership position of the NDC. With current support of Mrs. Rawlings after her declaration of intentions and launching of campaign, it is clearly seen that becoming the 1st woman to take up the presidential position of Ghana has been one of the reasons. Like some other countries both developed and developing, women has made the effort and even succeeded in becoming presidents of their nation. For example, Angela Merkel of Germany in 2005, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf of Liberia in 2006, and the likes. Many Ghanaians are criticizing Mrs. Rawlings that it is too early or even too wrong to make such an attempt in Ghana. But from my perspective, I believe Mrs. Rawlings is not only looking at her political career to become the 1st female president of Ghana but also to have her name recorded in the history book as the 1st female to contest for the flagbearer and presidential position of the NDC party and Ghana at large.
There have been many critics since the declaration of Mrs. Rawlings to contest for the flagbearreship position of the NDC but I believe we would have to appreciate this move and bold intiative by her from a serious and analytical point of view if we really dare to see and achieve a well developed democracy as a nation. People in America are just as humans as we are and they never despised Mrs. Hillary Rodham Clinton when she ran for the race for flagbearership of the democrats. The wife of the former president in the USA wishing to become a female president would have meant USA belonged to the Clintons but it was not so. It was rather a political strategy for the democrats to win and maintain the special support of the nation for the Clintons and the democrats in second. It would be very fair and helpful if we appreciate Mrs. Rawlings’ move and understand politics of today being mingled with international politics and that Mrs. Rawlings contesting for flagbearership should not mean the Rawlingses are claiming Ghana for themselves and that the seats of presidency does not belong to them.
It would be very helpful if we as Ghanaians practice politics and democracy as Ghanaians and not partisans, and there we would be able to grow, learn and excel in our day to day democracy. Mrs. Hilary Clinton is currently the Secretary to the nation USA and that is benefiting the democrats as a party and the entire nation. Not forgetting that the earlier critics of Mrs. Clinton are now appreciating her value to the nation.
Before I end, I would like to say that let us appreciate the fact that politics of the world today especially that of Ghana is being manipulated by name, fame, lineages and linkages and that for Ghana to reach her destiny of becoming the leading nation in Africa in terms of democracy, we have to live and learn and strategize ourselves well for future generations.
Watch out for the next part which would help us foresee the outcome of the NDC congress.
Prepared by: Gideon Duodu Ebbah Critical Intelligent Analyst (CIA) 0246755232
Copyright © 1994 - 2024 GhanaWeb. All rights reserved.
