CPP's infighting suicidal – Analyst

The Convention People’s Party (CPP) will be better off resolving the current divisions in the party, which can affect its fortunes in the 2016 polls, Dr Franklin Oduro, a Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for Democratic Development (CDD) has admonished.

“No party should spend time on internal rifts when you have few months to elections. You need a unified front and if this goes on further, the party will spend enormous time dealing with the wrangling, which will affect the organisation of the party for the elections,” he told Moro Awudu on the maiden edition of Class91.3FM’s ‘Inside Politics’ radio programme on Monday July 4.

CPP Youth Organiser Ernesto Yeboah and General Secretary Nii Armah Akomfrah have been suspended indefinitely by the party. The decision was taken at a Central Committee meeting on Thursday June 30, where the two were cited for publicly chastising and humiliating flagbearer Ivor Kobina Greenstreet in the media.

The party argued that Mr Yeboah and Mr Akomfrah had brought the party’s name into disrepute, and have, therefore, been referred to the disciplinary committee for further action.

But Mr Yeboah said he had not received any official letter to that effect and reported to the party’s headquarters on Monday July 4.

According to Dr Oduro, this raises questions about the party’s structures, systems, rules and guidelines that govern its operations in resolving conflicts. He added that the decision to stay in office till a letter is issued to that effect “is the right way of doing things in organisations”.

“There needs to be a formal process when dealing with a member of the party,” he added.

He said the different positions taken by the flagbearer and the General Secretary on the Mahama Ford gift saga raises questions “on the extent to which the leader has control of the party”.

To him, the CPP should have discussed the issue collectively and released an official statement and if any individual went contrary to that then the executives could take the culprit on.

“Did the party meet and discuss the position on the matter so that everyone can articulate that position? If that happened and anyone took a different position then the party has every right to use their guidelines to sanction the person,” he explained.