Would The NPP’S Special Electoral College Elections Disintegrate, Or Unite The Party?
Baring any unforeseen circumstances, the Special Electoral College Election of the New Patriotic Party, NPP, will come off on 26th August, 2023, ahead of the substantive Presidential Primary Election slated for 4th November, 2023.
The Special Electoral College Election, also called the Super Delegates Conference, is instituted by the party to scale down the number of its flagbearer aspirants to five. The elected five presidential hopefuls will then contest the presidential primaries. Ahead of this very important internal party exercise, diverse opinions and concerns have emerged regarding a possible manipulation and subversion of the system to the advantage of a particular candidate.
The Special Electoral College Election will be participated by around 900 delegates comprising: the president, former president, national officers, former national officers, founding members, council of elders, NPP members of parliament, regional party executives, regional representatives to national council, constituency chairpersons, representatives from external branches, representatives from the women, youth, and nasara wings. From the current dimensions of the flagbearership campaign, people are inclined to the opinion that most of the electorates in the “special voting exercise” are vulnerable to coercion by the powers that be.
An emerging school of thought in opposition to the intimidation of delegates perceives a possible decentralisation of the special voting, which would have a dire impact on party unification. Why would any attempt be made at elections on a regional basis? What are the pros and cons? Who will be the ultimate beneficiary of the process?
In the run-up to the 2022 annual national delegates conference of the party in Accra, which elected its national officers, similar speculations of regional-based elections were made. The proposal came up as a means of providing a safety net and a buffer against the falling dreams of some aspirants. That was vehemently opposed as the intent would defeat free and fair elections. Why would the national officers, who were anti-regional-based elections and who benefited from free, fair, transparent elections, do otherwise under duress? If thousands of party delegates plus observers could converge on one location for smooth internal elections, what legitimate reason would account for the Special Electoral College Election that involves only 900 voters to be carried out at regional levels?
Apart from guaranteeing a level ground for all the flagbearer aspirants, converging on one particular location for the Super Delegates Conference would offer the chance for “unsuccessful” candidates to address the conference and pledge their continuous support to the party and whoever emerges its leader. This will send signals of solidarity to the base of the party, and it is crucial to the successful reorganisation of the party for the 2024 general elections.
The upcoming presidential primary election of the New Patriotic Party requires the party to come out of the exercise united but not segregated along parochial interests. This calls for full compliance with democratic principles free of infractions.
END.
Dr. Joseph Kwadwo Danquah
Assistant Professor of Human Capital Development, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship
Bradford University, United Kingdom
