The contest to determine who emerges the flagbearer of the NDC come the party’s Congress in December is definitely on. Like all contests, it is expected to be competitive, fierce and full of fireworks. But the numerous followers of the NDC expect and hope that it will not degenerate into an ugly contest full of insults and baseless accusations in the style of the NPP.
Unlike the NPP which has so debased the contest such that every Tom, Dick and Harry in the party thinks he is good enough to become the president of Ghana , the aspirants of the NDC are of such calibre that anyone that emerges out of the contest should make the party and the nation proud.
An ugly contest must be resisted at all cost because it will not be in the overall interest of the party. Naturally, in any such competitive contest, the natural and logical thing to do is for every contestant to explain why he is better suited than others to lead the party to victory.
In a figurative sense, the “tall” aspirant will extol the virtues of height and indirectly take a dig at those who have a height disadvantage. The “stout” candidate will make a case for the superiority of muscles and a robust build etc.
Comments such as these create fair opportunities for various candidates to push their respective agendas without “bloodletting”. The various aspirants and their supporters must therefore be democratic and tolerant enough to understand that two boxers can have a fierce and tough combat in the ring without once throwing a low punch.
Receiving a political “punch” is never pleasant. The best response when one receives a clean and fair shot is to throw back an equally solid and fair shot. The answer does not lie in throwing below the belt “punches.”
As the contest goes on, the NDC leadership must carefully monitor the exchanges to ensure that “punches” being thrown remain above board. Some misguided supporters of various aspirants would love to play it dirty but the respective aspirants must remember that at the end of the contest, all aspirants would need to rally together behind the eventual winner so that together the NDC can launch a more formidable assault on the NPP.
Tolerance and a democratic spirit are therefore the essential keys. The accomplished combatant is the one who plays it fair and at the end remembers that it was only a game.
So let the friendly fire continue to blaze in the NDC.
