NKRUMAH'S PARTY LOOKS FORWARD TO 2008 ELECTION

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ACCRA 002403

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR AF/W

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/07/2017
TAGS: PGOV PREL GH
SUBJECT: NKRUMAH'S PARTY LOOKS FORWARD TO 2008 ELECTION


Classified By: CHARGE SUE K. BROWN FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D).


1. (C) SUMMARY: In a recent conversation with poloffs, the
Convention People's
Party (CPP) Deputy Secretary said that the CPP has the
potential to "create
some surprises" in the 2008 Presidential campaign. The CPP is
strongest in
the Eastern and Central Regions but has a foothold in the
Ashanti Region as well.
The CPP lamented the ruling New Patriotic Party's (NPP) poor
leadership during
Ghana,s energy crisis and said the NPP has allowed
corruption to run rampant.
The CPP has four candidates seeking the party's nomination on
November 24, two
of whom are prominent individuals with solid reputations and
financial backing.
A CPP government, if elected, would focus on developing the
regions, stamping
out corruption, and improving Ghana,s education and
agricultural systems. END
SUMMARY.


2. (C) On October 23, Daniel Duncan, Deputy Secretary of the
Convention
People,s Party (CPP),told poloffs that the CPP is
rebuilding at the grass
roots level and is working toward mobilizing young people to
vote. Duncan
predicted, as many analysts have, that the 2008 elections
will be close and he
said the CPP could play an important role in determining the
next president of
Ghana.(NOTE: The CPP is the party of Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana,s
first President,
but it has played a marginal role in recent elections. END
NOTE.)


3. (C) The CPP, Duncan said, is the party of the "common man"
and believes that
government should share evenly with all citizens, although
Duncan was careful
to stress that the CPP is not a "communist" party. A CPP
government, said
Duncan, would ensure that five per cent of the national
budget would be
allocated for development in Ghana,s ten regions and would
emphasize education,
long a major plank in the CPP platform. If elected, the CPP
would also create
public entities to monitor the various Ministries, strengthen
the serious fraud
office, and increase the capacity of the Police,s Criminal
Investigations
Division. Finally, the CPP would work to increase and enhance
Ghana,s
agricultural capacity, according to Duncan.

KEY ISSUES FOR 2008: POVERTY, CORRUPTION AND ENERGY
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4. (C) Poverty, which Duncan claimed has risen during the
NPP,s reign, is one of the key issues for the 2008 election.
Energy is another
important issue, and Duncan said the energy crisis in
2006-2007 demonstrated
the NPP's inability to handle strategic issues. Any serious
government, Duncan
explained, would have known about the energy shortages in
advance and had a
plan to manage it. Corruption is also intense, Duncan said,
with large
"leakages" in government finance. Government leaders have
nice houses and send
their children to study in Europe, even though they only earn
USD 300-400 a
month in official salaries, according to Duncan. He gave the
ruling party
credit on narcotics, saying the NPP is doing the best it can,
but corruption
and the vulnerable coastline allow smugglers to move with
ease. Education
standards and schooling have declined as well during the
NPP,s tenure and need
improvement, according to Duncan.

CPP CONGRESS ON NOVEMBER 24; CANDIDATES LOOK STRONG
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5. (C) A key step in contesting the 2008 election for the

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CPP will occur on November 24, when the CPP selects its
presidential nominee.
The CPP currently has four candidates in the running, but
Duncan said two, Dr.
Paa Kwesi Nduom, a former Minister for Public Sector Reform
and
Chairman of the Millennium Challenge Authority, and Dr.
Agyeman Badu Akosa, a
well known pathologist and former Director General of the
Ghana Health Service,
are the frontrunners. Citing a requirement for impartiality,
Duncan declined to
say whom he supported, saying only that both are good
candidates. Fundraising
is proceeding moderately well, according to Duncan, with the
CPP,s main source
of revenue being member dues, especially from members based
in
the U.S. and UK. The "winner take all" attitude, created by
the NPP, makes it
quite difficult for smaller parties to raise significant
amounts of money, said
Duncan. Nevertheless, he said "anything can happen" and
pointed
to strong support in the Western and Central Regions, which
could create some
"surprises."

GHANA LEADS AFRICA IN DEMOCRATIC DEVELOPMENT
--------------


6. (C) Duncan had only positive statements about the
Electoral Commission, saying
it is doing its best. Ghana, he beamed, continues to lead
Africa in holding legitimate
elections and he expects the 2008 election to be another
solid show of democracy.
Duncan said that while in principal the CPP supports
permitting overseas Ghanaians
to vote, as envisioned in the Right of People,s Amendment
Law (ROPAL),there were
serious flaws with the law and inadequate preparations for
its implementation. He
said it is unlikely the law will be implemented for the
coming election.

COMMENT
--------------


7. (C) Despite its marginal role in the past few elections,
the CPP has the
potential in 2008 to play a "spoiler" or "kingmaker" role
given the highly
polarized nature of Ghanaian politics and the relative
strength of its
potential nominees. The two main candidates are both serious
and charismatic
figures who enjoy some popular support. While Duncan said
nothing about the
long rumored reunion with the People,s National Congress
(PNC),such a reunion
could in fact be the spark that both parties need to become a
more potent force
in 2008. As reported septel, the differences between the two
parties are more
symbolic than substantive, and the PNC appears ready to
resolve their
differences.
BROWN