Confusion hits CPP

The aftermath of the December 2012 Presidential and Parliamentary elections is brewing a wave of serious, confusion within the rank of the Convention People's Party (CPP), as both executives and members trade accusations as to who caused the woeful performance of the party at the polls.

Out of the over 11 million voters that turned out for the elections in December, the CPP barely polled 20,000 votes nationwide.

Earlier this week, the party's flagbearer, Dr. Abu Sakara Forster, laid the blame squarely on the doorsteps of the leadership of the party, particularly the party's chairperson, Ms. Samia Nkrumah.

Dr. Sakara accused the party's leadership of not supporting him enough to ensure that he polled a decent tally at the December polls.

Hardly had the flagbearer finished passing the buck than a group within the party calling itself “Female Executives of CPP” pounced on Dr. Sakara, saying he should blame himself for his failure.

"We, the CPP women, are demanding, a public apology from Dr Abu Sakara, the CPP 2012 flagbearer; for his abysmal performance, which is the worst in the history of the CPP," the women executives stated in a statement released on Thursday and signed by the spokesperson of the group, Lucy Anin, Member of Council of Elders of CPP.

"We point to the fact that Dr Abu Sakara, who failed to campaign effectively, polled only 20,000 votes nationwide out of the 11 million votes cast."

Critics said Dr. Sakara did not campaign enough to attract an acceptable number of votes.

"Two weeks to elections even the media was looking for the CPP 2012 presidential candidate. While others were campaigning in dozens of constituencies a day, Dr Abu Sakara was nowhere to be found," the women group of CPP charged.

But speaking to Daily Guide in an exclusive interview on Thursday afternoon, party General Secretary Ivor Greenstreet said everybody (in CPP) was to blame for the woeful performance of the party.

"I will lay blame on all quarters. I don't think anybody is exonerated...everybody finds parts of the dirt on him or her," Mr. Greenstreet told Daily Guide.

"I don't think the party leadership can be blamed; I don't think Samia can be blamed; I don't think Sakara should be blamed. I think everybody should be blamed."

According to the General Secretary, historically, the fortunes of the party had been dwindling. Indeed from 2000 when the CPP actually started contesting the elections on its own footing, its total performance had dropped from approximately 115,000 to 86,000 in 2004.

The party's flagbearer in the 2008 elections Dr. Paa Kwesi Nduom was almost on the verge of turning around the fortunes of the party before he left unceremoniously'. In 2008, Dr. Nduom improved the CPP's tally from 86,000 votes to about 113, 000 votes.

Irregularities

However, Dr. Sakara's performance was the lowest in the history of the party. According to Ivor Greenstreet, the problem could partly he blamed on the massive electoral irregularities that had rocked the reputation of this year's elections.

The CPP scribe revealed that his party had also uncovered serious evidence of irregularities that affected the total tally of the CPP.

He told this paper that the party appeared to have been laid-back in trumpeting the irregularities because, the evidence they found might not change the outcome of the elections that much.

Allegation of Inducements

Critics had alleged that the current crop of CPP leadership had formed a secret alliance with the ruling NDC to decimate the fortunes of the party to favour the NDC. Indeed the party Chairman herself, Samia Nkrumah had been blamed for being a "mole" of the NDC.

Now, the Female Executives of CPP were also blaming Dr. Sakara for ostensibly taking money from the ruling party. "In his attack against the CPP leadership on Cid FM, Dr Abu Sakara indicated that the new leadership must be culturally attuned to the Ghanaian political space. We wonder if he is referring to the culture of collecting monies from another party to sink the fortunes of the CPP,” the women group taunted him.

But Mr. Greenstreet indicated that these allegations were unfounded. According to him, the CPP at several points in Ghana's political history had been blamed for pandering to the whims of bigger parties.

"When you are a small party, whatever you say or do can be interpreted to mean supporting the ruling party or if you are on the other side, the opposition party," the CPP General Secretary told Daily Guide.

"That is the price for being a party with so few seats in parliament...If is a party that has been painted for quite a number of years since 1992."

The CPP scribe conceded that the beleaguered party needed both an administrative and technical improvement, but he doubted the efficacy of such reforms because according to him the woes of the CPP might remain unless the political structure of the country changed.

According to him, the sheer size of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) would make nonsense of any reforms in the CPP. 

source: Daily Guide

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