NPP SELECTS AKUFO ADDO AS FLAGBEARER

UNCLAS ACCRA 002599 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL GH SUBJECT: NPP SELECTS AKUFO ADDO AS FLAGBEARER ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: On Sunday December 23, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) selected former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and NEPAD Nano Akufo Addo as its nominee for the 2008 presidential election after a solid victory over 16 other candidates. While Akufo Addo received approximately 48 percent in the first round, just short of the 50 percent plus one required to guarantee the nomination, his main rival - Alan Kyerematen - conceded defeat after most other candidates indicated that they would support Akufo Addo in a runoff and signaled that Kyerematen should concede in the interest of party unity. Akufo Addo's victory will put the NPP in a strong position to confront the National Democratic Congress. However, the choice also puts President Kufuor - with one year remaining in office - in a difficult and weakened position within his party. By clearly supporting Kyeremetan and pressing party activists to do so, the Akufo Addo victory will be seen by some as a strong rebuke to Kufuor, who now must find a way to govern while the party rallies around its new flag bearer. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (U) After an NPP Party Congress that began at 11:00 AM on December 22, the counting of ballots concluded at approximately 9:00 AM on December 23. Former Minister of Foreign Affairs Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo won 47.965 percent of the vote, with Former Trade Minister Alan Kyerematen in second place with 32.298 percent. ¶3. (U) Following the Electoral Commission's announcement at around 8:30 AM that Akufo Addo had received 1096 votes, it was clear that he had fallen short of the approximately 1150 required to avoid a runoff. However, given this substantial vote margin over second place Kyerematen, most other candidates indicated that they would support Akufo Addo in the second round, and urged Kyerematen to concede defeat in the interests of the party. ¶4. (SBU) President Kufuor arrived at the party congress just after 9:00 AM, and several NPP insiders told us that an overwhelming Akufo Addo victory in a second round runoff would be a humiliation for the President given Kufuor's backing of Kyerematen. Kyerematen conceded defeat at approximately 9:25 AM, publicly declaring his support for rival Akufo Addo. Each of the defeated candidates successively conceded defeat in short speeches, pledging their support for Akufo Addo in the 2008 election. The Congress concluded with President Kufuor briefly congratulating Akufo Addo and declaring him the victor. Controversy Amidst the Voting despite Calls for Unity -------------- -------------- ¶5. (U) Despite the display of unity at the conclusion of the Congress, the session was marked by controversy. Shortly after voting began, NPP secretariat officials were forced to suspend the voting. Kyerematen and Kufuor ally Paul Afoko - who was also a delegate at the Congress - was accused by other delegates of offering cash to them during the balloting process to support Kyerematen. Afoku was detained by security personnel for several hours, and voting resumed shortly afterward. ¶6. (U) During the Congress' opening speeches, party Chairman Peter Mac Manu, who had previously indicated to us his concern over the divisive NPP campaign, urged the party to maintain its unity. He stressed the NPP's commitment to multiparty democracy, as well as internal party democracy, but conceded that the large number of candidates presented a challenge. While urging delegates to vote according to their own free will, he also stressed that only one would win, and said the other candidates' duty would be to accept the results and support the victor. ¶7. (U) In his opening speech, President Kufuor acknowledged that he was coming to the end of his term as NPP flag bearer. He reviewed the NPP's achievements after seven years in power, and stressed that the party's record would determine its success in the 2008 election. Notably, Kufuor indicated that he would support whichever aspirant emerged victorious, provoking loud applause from the assembled delegates. ¶8. (SBU) COMMENT: Despite an acrimonious campaign, Akufo Addo's victory over Kufuor favorite Kyerematen will likely help the NPP unite as it prepares for an expected close 2008 contest against National Democratic Congress (NDC) flag bearer John Atta Mills. NDC activists had previously indicated to us that they viewed Akufo Addo as a formidable opponent, and suggested that they preferred Kyerematen. In addition, the fact that Akufo Addo was not favored by Kufuor will likely increase his personal credibility among voters. For Kufuor, Kyerematen's decisive defeat represents a personal rebuke from his party, and reflects a strain between him and party loyalists due to perceived efforts by the President to impose his choice of a successor on the party. Several NPP activists have expressed the view that the party as an institution has been too subordinate to the Castle, and has suffered as a result. Finally, this defeat could complicate Kufuor's final year in office as he attempts to seal his legacy. END COMMENT. BROWN