Kumbuor joins NDC flag bearer ship candidates

A new face has emerged to join the list of possible candidates for consideration as the 2008 flag bearer of the National Democratic Congress-NDC.

He is Dr Benjamin Bewa-Nyong Kunbour, the 47-year-old NDC Member of Parliament for Lawra/Nandom.

According to the Daily Dispatch?s research Dr Kunbour joins three other names that are front-runners.

The three are the former Vice President, the NDC flag bearer for the 200- and 2004 elections, Prof John Evans Atta Mills, Mr John Dramani Mahama- the NDC MP for Bole Bamboi and Mr Ekow Spio Garbrah, a former minister of state in the NDC government.

Other names mentioned but not in the forefront include Alhaji Iddrisu Mahama, a minister of State in the NDC government, a leading member of the then Provisional National Defence Council-PNDC, Mr Paul Victor Obeng and the former First lady, Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings.

Of the last three names the one which has the capacity to spring a surprise is Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings.

The political advantage and disadvantage of her candidacy will depend on how ?bruised? the NDC will be after its December 2005 National Executive elections.

The word ?bruised is used to determine how ?deep? the division in the NDC is likely to be.

If the division is so entrenched on the lines of the role of the ex- President and NDC?s founder, Mr Jerry Rawlings then the potential of Mrs Rawlings candidacy will be enhanced.

For example if the Jerry Rawlings camp holds sway, that the ex-president should be the one around which the NDC should revolve, then there will be no challenger to Mrs Rawlings? candidacy for 2008.

However if the Council of elders are able to have a firmer grip of the intriguesin the party, then it is likely there might be a compromise list of the candidates to contest the national executive positions.

If this options holds sway, then Mrs Rawlings? candidacy will not see the light of day.

In any case Mrs Rawlings candidacy has been a shot in the arm, following credible reports that the younger brother of President Kufuor, Defence minister, Dr Kwame Addo Kufuor is likely to be a candidate at the NPP?s national congress to elect the party?s flag bearer for the 2008 elections.

If many Ghanaians were against Mrs Rawlings candidacy in 1999/2000 because of a husband possibly handing over to his wife, how about the possibility of President Kufuor handing over to his younger brother, Dr Addo Kufuor?