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2011 political year in review

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The year 2011 was full of significant political activities as election 2012 draws closer. One of such major event was the ruling National Democratic Congress’ (NDC) Delegates Congress in Sunyani.

For Ghana politics, 2011 is a year to remember. It is the year that has seen perhaps the highest number of groups within the NDC political circles.

The confusion that rocked in the party as a result of the flag bearership contest was put to rest somehow when President Mills recorded a landslide victory over Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings.

The political heat in the NDC resulted in by-products such as Sons and Daughters of Atta Mills (SADAM), Get Agyeman Rawlings In (GARI), Friends of Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings (FONKAR), Organised Ladies of Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings (OLONKAR), Nana Konadu Network (NAKONET), Get Atta Mills Endorsed (GAME), Friends and Family of Atta Mills (FAFAM), Friends of Atta Mills (FOAM), Supporters of Egya Atta (SEA), Enemies of Massa Atta (ENEMA), Atta Mills Association of Slow Starters (AMASS) or Atta Mills Society of Sycophants and Cowards (AMSSAC).

This showed the intense politicking that ensued ahead of the NDC flagbearer contest. Before then was the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) parliamentary primaries which was held across 220 out of the 230 constituencies in the country, with no record of incidents marring the largely peaceful and orderly primaries.

The year under review also witnessed internal wrangling within the Convention Peoples Party (CPP). The party’s candidate in the 2008 elections, Dr. Paa Kwesi Nduom, has been under the threat of expulsion from the party for allegedly orchestrating activities to disintegrate the party.

While the CPP under its new leadership led by daughter of Ghana’s first president, Samia Nkrumah, want grass root organization before the party goes for congress, Dr Nduom had been arguing for an early congress.

His impatience, as it might be seen, has led the ever vibrant man to rescind his decision to run as flagbearer for the CPP. He has, therefore, decided to run solo.

2011 also witnessed the return of one of the founding fathers of the National Democratic Congress into the party. DR. Obed Yao Asamoah, the patron of the defunct Democratic Freedom Party DFP returned to the NDC fold after realizing that some air of democracy was blowing within it with Mills as the leader and President.

The year also saw some dramatic activities in the political scene. Politics of insults reared its ugly head in the Ghanaian body politic.

The country’s two main political figures Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo Addo of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) and President John Evans Atta Mills of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) were among many political figures who were at the receiving end of the insults many of which were on live radio and television programmes.

After all the wrangling among the two main political parties was the Africa Watch Members of Parliament rating. The Africa Watch Magazine’s first ever grading of Ghana’s legislators, Ministers of State and the Executive sparked a storm of outrage and vitriolic attacks from MPs who scored poor marks.

Whilst some questioned the methodology used by the “so called” researches, some were, however, satisfied. Probably, indicating that they had done well in terms of their constituencies and respective roles assigned them.

Wikileaks also made stunning revelations about some politicians in its latest release of diplomatic files. Various government functionaries and political leaders allegedly released sensitive state information to United State embassy staff.

The NDC during its campaign ahead of the 2008 elections stated that it would ensure that those involved in the killing of Ya Na were brought to book.

However, the government lost the case in court leading to unrest in Dagbon. The Asantehene blamed the two biggest political parties, NDC and NPP for the difficulty in resolving the Dagbon crisis.

He said while the Committee of Eminent Chiefs, which he chaired, spent time and energy to work to help bring peace to Dagbon, politicians from the two parties continuously stoked the fires for political gains.

The year under review also witnessed a lot of sod cutting ceremonies by the President, John Evans Atta Mills. Among them was the sod cutting for work to begin on the construction of the University of Energy and Natural Resources in the Brong Ahafo Region and the University of Allied Health Sciences in the Volta region.

The year could not have ended well without issues regarding the acquisition of a biometric verification machine raised by the opposition NPP.

The electoral commission’s quest to compile a biometric voter register ended up with some debate over its application to the 2012 elections.

While the NPP demanded verification systems, the NDC said that was not full proof and therefore was not necessary. Instead, the NDC required the funds for the acquisition of the verification system to be used in tightening security before and during the 2012 elections. The EC was of the view that vigilance would be key in achieving free and fair polls.

John Kumah, an NPP youth activist, was also arrested for alleging on an Accra based private radio station that the president was gay. His comments sparked a lot of controversy since the president had remained silent on the rising incidence of the practice in the society.

The aftermath was a statement by UK Prime Minister, David Cameron, who said that aid to countries which did not support gay rights would be cut off.

In what happened to be the boldest response yet to any western nation, President Mills told the British Prime Minister to can keep his development assistance if that would be tied to cultural practices deemed unacceptable by Ghanaians.

The president is however yet to respond to a similar threat issued by US President Barck Obama about a month after Cameron’s warning.

By: e.tv Ghana

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