NPP ANNOUNCES VP CANDIDATE

UNCLAS ACCRA 001058

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREF GH
SUBJECT: NPP ANNOUNCES VP CANDIDATE


1. (U). The New Patriotic Party announced late on August 14
that Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia would be its vice presidential
candidate in the upcoming election. Dr. Bawumia is currently
the Deputy Governor of the Bank of Ghana, and is a technocrat
with no previous electoral experience. The choice will be
controversial, as Dr. Bawumia has no apparent political base
to add to the ticket. Dr. Bawumia will be "out-doored" August
16 at the party's convention in Takoradi.


2. (U). Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia is a Canadian trained economist
with a background in banking and finance. At the Bank of
Ghana Bawumia has been involved in efforts to open the
banking sector to greater competition. He was also involved
in drafting the MCA compact, where he contributed sections on
the financial sector and agricultural credit. He has been
Chairman of the Capital Markets committee. Although Bawumia
is from a political family--his father was involved in party
politics at the time of independence and worked for the
previous NDP government-- he has not previously held office.
Party insiders have told POL LES that Bawumia is not even a
registered member of the NPP.

3 (SBU) COMMENT. Dr. Bawumia is a technocrat and a relative
political unknown, As a northern and a Muslim, he brings
some balance to the NPP ticket. However, Akufo-Addo has been
under significant pressure from factions of the NPP to select
a woman as running mate. The selection of Bawumia may take
some selling to the party, which continues to have difficulty
unifying ahead of the December election. However, the party
could take advantage of his previous political neutrality
and the new face that he brings to Ghanaian political. Dr.
Bawumia is known to the EMBASSY and is regarded as a
competent civil servant with extensive experience in economic
management. END COMMENT.
BROWN