Rawlings Party Finally here (Front page)

After many months of speculation and denials, it is now certain that a new party, the National Democratic Party (NDP), which, from all indications, has the backing of the Rawlingses, has been formed.

Some of the leading members of the new party presented its application to the Electoral Commission (EC) in Accra on Wednesday for registration as a fully fledged political entity to contest the December 2012 and future elections.

The symbol of the new party is a white flying dove carrying the ‘Gye Nyame’ emblem against background of black, red, white and green.

A former General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Dr Josiah Ayeh, is the Interim National Chairman, while Dr Mamboa Rockson is the Interim General Secretary of the new party.

A leading member of the NDP, Dr K. Ofei-Agyemang, told the Daily Graphic in Accra yesterday that “the party also submitted its constitution and other documents to seek its approval to operate as a fully fledged political party and contest the 2012 general election”.

“Since the Rawlingses believe in social democratic philosophy, they will not deny their support for the new social democratic party called the NDP,” he said.

Explaining the party’s choice of colours, he said while the black represents the Black man and the country’s heritage, the green is for Ghana’s vegetation and the toil of farmers, with the red representing the bloodshed in the various struggles of Ghana’s existence, with the white being the spirit of holiness and grace.

The closest hint on the formation of a party associated with the Rawlingses came from the Spokesperson for former President Rawlings, Mr Kofi Adams, who told Adom FM, a Tema-based radio station, last month, “Don’t be surprised if a new party is formed with the intention of salvaging an existing party.”

Commenting on the issue, the Communications Director of the NDC, Mr James Asante, said it was within the right of the members of the NDP, as Ghanaians, to form a new party to contest the December 2012 general election.

Ghana’s Fourth Republican history is replete with cases of breakaway parties, but such parties, after abysmal performances in elections, find their way back to their roots.

Mention can be made of the National Reform Party and the Democratic Freedom Party, both from the NDC stock.

The United Ghana Movement, led by Dr Yves Wireko-Brobbey and currently in hibernation, and the Reformed Patriotic Party came from the New Patriotic Party.

The Convention People’s Party’s share of breakaway parties is the Progressive People’s Party, which is angling to contest the 2012 elections.

But Dr Ofei-Agyemang, who contested the 2008 parliamentary election on the ticket of the NDC in the Ayawaso Constituency, maintained that “the NDP has come to stay”.

“The party was formed by like-member social democrats who are selfless and yearning to use the country’s natural and human resources for the benefit all,” he said.

When contacted, a senior official of the EC confirmed that the NDP had initiated the process to secure a certificate as a registered political party.

Commenting on the fortunes of the new party, the Head of the Political Science Department of the University of Ghana, Dr Emmanuel Debrah, observed that the NDP could be a threat to the NDC in the 2012 elections if the new party had the backing of the Rawlingses.

“The Rawlingses carry a lot of clout and influence. The party may not win the elections, but considering the fact that the difference in numbers between President John Evans Atta Mills and Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in the first and second round elections of 2008 was not that significant, any shift in the electoral figures can affect the fortunes of the party from which the breakaway party is emerging,” he contended.

He, however, admitted that on the other side of the coin, it might be too late for any new party to make gains politically, explaining that that party would have to build structures from the grass roots and strengthen its branches from the regional down to the constituency levels.

“We have only six months to the general election and it will be a daunting task to mobilise resources and people for the task. It is also not only about structures but also being able to present programmes to compete with known parties whose strength on the ground is already solid,” Dr Debrah said.

Many analysts believe that if, indeed, the new party is backed by the Rawlingses, it could affect the fortunes of the NDC in the December general election and push it into opposition.

That could be avoided if the NDC strategised to put its house in order, the analysts said.

But Dr Debrah opined that that strategy could be an expensive one, as it would be extremely difficult to re-unite the party gurus and win an election.

“These are all speculations and could be successful in punishing Mills, but whether the NDC can heal old wounds to mobilise supporters to win an election is another thing,” he said.

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