Arthur K tables pressing issues for NPP to break the 8

A stalwart of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) based in the United States, Dr Arthur Kobina Kennedy, has pencilled a number of issues he believes the party has to address if they are to break the 8-year cycle.

The NPP will be having their national delegates conference in Kumasi on Sunday, December 19. A number of key decisions are going to be taken during the conference.

Ahead of the event, Dr Arthur Kennedy in a statement said “The first issue we must address is that of who is entitled to vote for our National leaders and Presidential candidate.

“There are many proposals to enlarge the electorate. Some want ex-MPs, others want more Nasara coordinators etc.”

Below is his full statement…

NPP MARCHES TOWARDS 2024

Today, thousands of NPP delegates will converge on Kumasi for a Congress.

I pray that they all travel safely, to and from Congress.

Amongst the items on the agenda are proposed changes to our constitution.

Amongst the 38 or so proposals, let me address my fellow kukrudites on three.

For the avoidance of doubt, I have NOT sought the views or inclinations of any faction in proffering the following views.

Let me begin by acknowledging that as a physician, I am not as fluid as the lawyers are with the arcana of legal language. So, pardon my blunt and pedestrian language.

The first issue we must address is that of who is entitled to vote for our National leaders and Presidential candidate. There are many proposals to enlarge the electorate. Some want ex-MPs, others want more Nasara co-ordinators etc.

IT IS TIME TO LET ALL NPP MEMBERS who are in good standing 90 days before an election vote. It will reduce the influence of money and be more democratic. Besides, the NDC that has tended to follow our innovations has already done this.

And by the way, Nigeria has just passed a law mandating direct primaries by ALL POLITICAL PARTIES that is awaiting presidential assent.

Yenko yanim!

And while we are at it, we must democratize the choice of our running mate as well.

Consistent with the above, our running mate must be nominated by the Presidential candidate, with the ADVICE and CONSENT of the National Council and endorsed by Congress.

Finally, let me address the timing of the choice of the Presidential candidate. The proposed amendment is to make the choice 2 years before the Presidential election.

This is a spectacularly bad idea– for a number of reasons.

First, this contest, coming so early will drain the focus and energy of the sitting President and make him a lame-duck almost immediately. And he would find it difficult to govern as power drains inevitably to his chosen successor.

Second, even if the chosen successor agrees with the President, each time the President makes a decision, he will be asked to endorse it– or decline to.

And if he happens to disagree with the President, the NPP would look even more divided and disorganized. Indeed, as I write, Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta and his Deputy President Ruto are in a public disagreement that is tearing their party apart. Why would we aspire to that?

Third, our eagerness to get on with the next election and thus seek the next mandate gives the unfortunate, unintended impression that we are more interested in campaigning than governing. It is disrespectful of the Ghanaian electorate and the mandate they gave us.

According to the media, “Party members believe the current arrangement makes it difficult for a new candidate to mend bridges and heal wounds of other aspirants before the election”

A candidate who needs 2 years to heal internal party wounds would have a very difficult time building the national coalitions needed to govern. And most countries choose Presidential candidates a few months to elections.

My fellow Asonoma, we must divest ourselves of the fantasy that even with a poor record, a great candidate who is well packaged can win with enough time. Whether we like it or not, the successes and failures of the current President, HE, Nana Akufo-Addo, will matter more than the fence-mending skills or time of choice of our next candidate.

Besides, long campaigns tend to be expensive and expensive campaigns make future governments beholden to funders and more likely to be corrupt.

Let’s demand that our current President and his government fix the country. If he succeeds, we will, just as night follows day, break the eight.

The battle is the Lord’s.
God bless NPP!
God bless Ghana!
Arthur Kobina Kennedy
(Friday, 17th December, 2021)