Dr. Paa Kwesi Nduom to Lead CPP in 2008 Presidential

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TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL GH
SUBJECT: Dr. Paa Kwesi Nduom to Lead CPP in 2008 Presidential
Elections


1. (SBU) SUMMARY: On December 17, the Convention People's Party
(CPP) elected on the first ballot Dr. Paa Kwesi Nduom as its
candidate for the 2008 Presidential election. Nduom, educated in
the U.S. and a former minister in the Kufuor administration, urged
the CPP to unite in his acceptance speech. Nduom, who angered many
in the CPP with his endorsement of President Kufuor in the 2004
election, is a formidable candidate with strong credentials. Few
expect the CPP to capture the Presidency, but given Nduom's
background and appeal, he could siphon votes from the major parties
and affect the outcome of the 2008 election. END SUMMARY.


2. (U) On December 17, after a three day long convention and 18
hours of voting, the Convention People's Party (CPP) elected Dr. Paa
Kwesi Nduom as its candidate for the 2008 presidential election.
The closely contested party election was marked by allegations of
impropriety, but the election was conducted in an orderly manner and
supervised by the Ghanaian Electoral Commission. Nduom won 54 per
cent of the total votes with the next highest candidate being
Professor Agyeman Badu Akosah, a former Director General of the
Ghana Health Service, who received around 30 per cent of the vote.



3. (U) Nduom, 54, has served as Minister of Public Sector Reform,
Minister of Energy, and Minister of Economic Planning in President
Kufuor's administration. He also chaired Ghana's Millennium
Challenge Authority. In 2004, he dropped out of the CPP race for
Presidency to stand for Parliament in his home district of Elmina
which he currently represents. Prior to joining government, Nduom
served as a consultant at Deloitte and Touche for several years
before relocating to Ghana in the early 1990s. Nduom has a PhD in
Management from the University of Wisconsin.


4. (U) In his acceptance speech, Nduom urged unity in the party,
forgave his detractors, and promised to work closely with all
factions. Interestingly, he also said he plans to draw the CPP
closer to business and said his election team is "a business
oriented CPP group." On this theme he also announced that Alhaji
Asumah Bandah, an influential shipping magnate would be assisting
his campaign. Nduom underscored the need to reverse the past
electoral defeats of the CPP, as the CPP received one per cent of
the vote in the 2004 election, and proposed to rebuild the party at
the grassroots level. He further urged party activists to honor
financial commitments and to "defend what Nkrumahism means in the
face of globalization and the dominance of capitalism," although he
did not elaborate on this theme.


5. (SBU) COMMENT: While Nduom's election as CPP flagbearer is not a
surprise, his margin of victory is noteworthy given the fractious
nature of the CPP's nomination process. While Nduom did win an
outright majority, many old line CPP members have not forgiven Nduom
for his endorsement of President Kufuor in the 2004 election.
Nduom's economic outlook also seems at odds with some of the CPP's
philosophical leanings, although he has yet to address specifics.
Despite murmurings from some CPP members who say they are unwilling
to accept his victory, the CPP will likely rally around their
elected leader.

BROWN