OPPOSITION PARTY OUTLINES CASE FOR CHANGE IN

C O N F I D E N T I A L ACCRA 001889

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/29/2017
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM GH
SUBJECT: OPPOSITION PARTY OUTLINES CASE FOR CHANGE IN
LEADERSHIP

REF: ACCRA 1822

Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Gary Pergl for reasons
1.4 (b) and (d).

SUMMARY
--------------


1. (C) In an August 29 meeting with PolChief, the General
Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC),Ghana's

SIPDIS
main opposition party, complained that the Electoral
Commission (EC) failed to conduct its annual update of voter
registration lists in 2007, which the NDC contends will
reinforce past undercounts in NDC strongholds. NDC leaders
said that the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) is abusing its
incumbent status for electoral advantage, particularly
through control of the media. The NDC is particularly
critical of EC efforts to implement voting for overseas
Ghanaians, stating that the EC has failed to adequately
prepare for such voting and that this will be used by the NPP
to rig the election. Similar concerns were raised by other
opposition parties at an August 24 lunch with CODEL Payne.
The NDC warned that the opposition will not accept overseas
voting for the 2008 election, and suggested that the NDC may
not accept a negative result if it perceives irregularities
in the 2008 election. END SUMMARY.

Registration Delays
--------------


2. (C) Polchief and PolFSN met August 29 with Asiedu Nketia
Johnson, NDC General Secretary, and Kofi Attor, NDC Director
of International Relations. Johnson began by expressing
concern over Electoral Commission preparations for the 2008
presidential and parliamentary elections. Johnson complained
that the government had "starved" the EC of funding, while
focusing on implementation of ROPAL - the "Representation of
the People's Amendment Law." (NOTE: ROPAL extends the vote
to Ghanaians living abroad, and was passed by Parliament in
2006 despite strong opposition from minority parties. END
NOTE). The result, complained Johnson, is that preparations
for the internal phase of Ghana's election are being
hampered. The NDC said that the EC's current priority should
be to update voter registration lists before December.
(NOTE: One factor delaying the registration process is that
the EC can no longer procure the Polaroid film it has used in
the past to make election ID cards. The new system may not
be available until 2008. END NOTE).


3. (C) Johnson said the NDC is particularly concerned about
updating voter registration lists, because of registration
difficulties for the 2004 elections that resulted in the
undercounting of voters in three NDC strongholds. If, said
Johnson, the registration process is delayed by one or two
months, the EC will not be able to complete the registration
process on time. In addition, said Johnson, difficulties in
registering voters could reinforce the undercounted
registrants from 2004 - including what the NDC claims was a
90,000 voter undercount in the Volta region and approximately
400,000 voter undercount in the whole of Ghana. Johnson
pointed out that this was close to the margin of Kufuor's
victory.

Overseas Voting
--------------


4. (C) The NDC officials noted several problems with regard
to ROPAL, and said they fear the NPP will use the overseas
vote to rig the election in its favor. The NDC said the
logistical challenge is monumental given the large number of
Ghanaians living abroad. This is particularly difficult
because many of those Ghanaians are illegal residents of
their host countries, and Ghanaian identity documents (such
as passports) are easy to procure fraudulently. The EC, they
said, has not adequately planned how to conduct voter
registration and voting overseas, nor has it specified how
this initiative would be funded.


5. (C) In terms of funding, Johnson noted that Ghana required
foreign assistance to fund its previous
presidential/parliamentary elections (NOTE: In the 2004
election approximately 42% of the EC budget came from foreign
donors. END NOTE). How, asked Johnson, can the EC
contemplate funding overseas voting when the country has been
unable so far to self-fund the domestic portion of the
election?


6. (C) Johnson also said the NDC will not accept a scenario
in which Ghanaian embassies oversee voting and registration.
In a large country like the United States, it will be
difficult for Ghanaians living far from the Embassy to vote,
particularly poorer Ghanaians. Johnson also said that
Ghanaian ambassadors are subject to political pressure from
the ruling government and could therefore not be trusted as
impartial overseers.

... and Memory of 2004 Dispute
--------------


7. (C) Johnson recalled that in the 2004 elections there were
3,000 polling stations (out of 21,000) in which disputed
results were challenged in court. In these constituencies -
all NPP strongholds - the voting tallies revealed 100% voter
turnout. The margin of votes that prevented a run-off
election for President Kufuor was 138,000 votes. The NDC
challenged the results for these districts, claiming that it
was not possible to have 100% turnout without fraud (i.e.
some registered voters would have died between the time of
registering and voting),but this challenge was never
resolved.


8. (C) Johnson said that while the NDC wanted to contest the
results of the 2004 election, some observers - including the
U.S. government - appealed to Atta-Mills to accept the
results "for the sake of peace in Ghana and West Africa."
This time around, stressed Johnson, there will be little
tolerance for abuses. The NDC is particularly concerned that
the government will use ROPAL to rig the election, and for
that reason, said Johnson, the NDC "will not accept ROPAL."
(NOTE: Johnson's comments on ROPAL were echoed by smaller
opposition parties during an August 24 lunch with CODEL
Payne. END NOTE).

NPP Using Power of Incumbency for Partisan Advantage
-------------- --------------


9. (C) Johnson and Attor also complained that the NPP is
unfairly using incumbency to support its re-election. They
noted that former NPP Foreign Minister Akuffo-Addo would
announce his candidacy later that day (August 29) via the
state-owned media, whereas NDC candidate John Atta-Mills had
been blocked from purchasing media time for his announcement
prior to the 2004 elections. Johnson said that while the NDC
challenged this in court, the NPP had packed the courts by
adding pro-NPP Supreme Court justices. Johnson also said
that the majority of the privately owned media is pro-NPP and
said he believes the NPP will use its control of the media to
support an NPP candidate in the 2008 election.

Timeline/Financing
--------------


10. (SBU) In terms of a timeline, the NDC is currently
selecting parliamentary candidates in "orphan" constituencies
(parliamentary seats currently held by other parties). The
NDC has spread out the dates for these primaries, but this
process will be completed by December. In addition, the NDC
is fund-raising through dinners at branch, regional, national
and overseas party outposts. This effort includes
Atta-Mills' well-publicized travel in the U.S. to meet with
Ghanaian Diaspora communities (reftel).


11. (C) With regard to fund raising, Johnson and Attor said
that the Government's actions have made this very difficult
for opposition parties. The NPP, they said, has "targeted"
donors who have contributed to the opposition. Since many
businesses depend heavily on government contracts or
business, the NPP's refusal to do business with NDC
contributors has had a chilling effect on opposition
finances.


12. (SBU) The NDC officials said they support public
financing of political campaigns, and that a Ghanaian NGO is
preparing a draft bill to provide public financing. However,
due to the requirements of Ghana's legislative process, no
bill with financial aspects can be introduced by individual
members of Parliament (i.e. only the Government may introduce
legislation with even minor financial requirements). While
the NPP supported public financing while in opposition, noted
Attor, it has not supported public financing legislation
while in power. (NOTE: The NDC also did not support public
financing while it was in power prior to Kufuor's victory in

2000. END NOTE).


13. (SBU) Johnson also said that the NDC is conducting
training sessions for party polling agents, who will
represent the party during the 2008 voting at each of the
21,000 polling stations in Ghana. He noted that this is an
expensive undertaking, as two NDC representatives will be
present at each polling station.


Key Election Issues: Governance and Corruption
-------------- --


14. (SBU) Johnson said that NPP corruption would be one of
the principal issues in the campaign, and cited the NPP's
failure to appoint an Auditor General - a key anti-corruption
post - in accordance with Ghanaian law. He said that
political power has produced in the NPP a feeling of
"omnipotence" and that NPP behavior in office has led to an
impression among Ghanaians that corruption is acceptable.
Johnson cited a comment by President Kufuor that "corruption
started with Adam" in excusing the actions of an accused
minister. Attor said there were many examples in which the
President has defended corrupt members of his government.
This has had a debilitating effect on anti-corruption
institutions.


15. (SBU) In addition to corruption, Attor and Johnson said
that key issues for the NDC in the 2008 campaign would be the
ongoing energy crisis in Ghana, narcotics scandals and the
growing problem with trafficking, the standard of living, and
unemployment.

Comment
--------------


16. (C) The NDC's comments are indicative of the intense
passion surrounding the upcoming elections, even at this
early stage, and a feeling that some outside observers have
glossed over serious corruption problems in singing the
praises of Ghana's democracy. The NDC feels that the ruling
NPP has abused its majority status and is inappropriately
planning to use incumbency to gain a third consecutive term
in office. In addition, the NDC's concerns over ROPAL are
serious, particularly for a country that has relied on donor
support for domestic elections. The EC's plans to implement
overseas voting do not appear well developed, and have
unified the opposition against ROPAL. There appears to be a
real possibility that a hastily implemented program could
open the door to a major dispute in 2008. This is
particularly problematic given that the 2008 election is
expected to be close. END COMMENT.
PERGL