By Konongo Fordjour
Boston, MA
Like all other nations, Ghana's political parties have two types of politicians, the radical and the liberal. For instance, radicalism and coercion took precedence in NDC in its early formation, and that group was tagged with violence and crude characterizations. Over the years, NDC, as a political group, is slowly moving from the zone of indisciplined caricatures into liberal cohorts.
On the other hand, the originators of the oldest Ghanaian political party, the opposition NPP (UP), carefully planned it along a civilized liberal democracy. There must be reasons for their forefathers' perceived direction. Dr. J B Danquah, Dr. K A Busia, Chief S D Dombo, and all the early visionary children of African democracy had something important for our generation today. Some of them pursued non-violent civil disobedience in a concerted and well focused direction in our trek to self rule.
Dr. Danquah, like Mahatma Ghandi and Nelson Mandela, faced the worst kind of human treatment and died in his prison cells. Our attention should be drawn to his ordeal and the protection he had sought for our democracy from violent situations.
More recently, NPP has witnessed intimidation, violence, and hate language from party officials and member of parliament. Violent campaign slogans, such as 'All-die-be-die', 'bumper-to-bumper', 'kick-and-be-kicked', 'boot-to-boot', men wielding matchets and guns into party headquarters to butcher Chairman and General Secretary and so forth, are very much unlike liberal democrats. There was even the talk of leaders who cannot work with certain members.
Today, Danquah's beloved NPP (UP) is slowly descending into anarchy, violence, coercion, and force rule in the name of political power. What would Danquah, Busia, Dombo, and all the early democrats do if they lived today to find their UP in violent and perceived murderous activities inside NPP headquarters? A conditionally abhorrent practice that defined the CPP (that begat the NDC), that incarcerated, maimed, and eventually killed them?
Without the least doubt, coercion is one most powerful political strategy that has worked in some cultures. Once a nation is coerced along certain practices as normal, it grows to accept such despicable evil practices on mankind as realistic, fair, and God given.
For example, people of pride like you and I, in Communist China and North Korea have come to accept their coercive governing practices as normal regardless of who is in charge of their destinies, be it a small boy of familial dynasties. It definitely should be behind this backdrop that Danquah and all the makers of our liberal democratic civilization resented coercive and repressive rule on their future generations that you and I find ourselves today.
Nations, where there are mass illiteracy, poverty-ridden, ignorance, and hugely dependant on handouts, coercion to instill fear becomes a powerful weapon to buy time to entrench force rule either to develop or amass wealth. The gunman, Jerry Rawlings and his tactical inferior henchmen, in the 1980s throughout the 1990s revisited Nkrumah's CPP 1960s coercive politics as the only weapon to use to silence their often scared noise-making armchair politicians.
Apparently coercion works periodically in Ghana. Could it be the sole reason why these liberal democrats have squandered their disciplined culture, abandoned their civilized mode of human development and embraced barbaric, heinous and atrocious method of subjugating their own folks in the same party to succumb to our modern day demigod politicians? I hope not! However, should it unfortunately be factually so, then shame on my party.
Historically, NPP has witnessed two types of electoral leadership. Radicals usually tend to draw more outside the liberal center to the left. They use intimidation and coercive strategies to push their hard-to-convince members to tow their line. Liberals, who move more outside of the center to the right believe in absolute freedom for members to make informed decision.
NPP radicals, such as Mr. Victor Owusu and Professor Albert Adu Boahen lost their elections. NPP liberals, such as Prime Minister Kofi Abrefa Busia and President John Agyekum Kufuor were successful in their elections. Is my party consciously aware of the state it is in now? Can NPP proudly boast of themselves as true liberal democrats? This is the time to sit in the mirror and reassess ourselves. Should we redefine our political identity? There must be so many questions than answers!
Our party is up again to elect a flag bearer for the 2016 general elections. Three of our most respected gentlemen have moved forward to seek the position. Honestly, all the three men have impressive records and are all qualified to lead the party. One major factor that impresses me a lot, concerns their collective resolve, and that is, all the three are campaigning on transformational leadership.
I am happy because, in spite of all the bickering along the campaign trails, our three leaders hold the NPP basic principles enshrined in our master manifesto in a high esteem. Nevertheless, eligible voters must pay attention to how the transformational leadership the three men are proposing to pursue. Would their lines benefit the party?
Transformation should translate to collectivism or universalism in voting for all members. It should also mean holding members collectively responsible for their actions to see NPP in government. Transformational leadership should mean that party executives are handsomely remunerated to increase commitment and personalize ownership. And One-Member-One-Vote [OMOV] can easily unlock all the benefits.
Once the base is settled, decision making would be collective through OMOV and a renewed energy would be induced to propel a more definable party along genuine liberal democratic credentials. Currently, NPP destiny is in a flux. Violence, intimidation, and coercion are all embodied in the scare factor to manipulate the outcome in October 18.
NPP must vote to redefine our party along peaceful, non-violent, liberal democracy; the party with free speech without persecution. Our party is different from those that align with violent communist ideals. It is a disgrace to lead liberal democrats through violent means.
If the base is disoriented, poorly organized, disjointed, and pursues blame games as usual, we shall continue to lose general elections. Party that dwells on violent culture cannot survive. Please vote for peace in our party, not a flag bearer!
Konongo Fordjour
Movement For Universal Voting
koafordjour@yahoo.com
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