It is essential to allow all the nine (9) branch executives to vote in the Regional and National elections because the branches are the foundation and the soul of the party, therefore anyone who gets their vote to lead the party at the Regional and National level will be worthy Executives.
For years now the party has excluded the nine (9) branch executives from participating in elections at the Regional and National level and this is not helping the party’s growth at the branch level. Many of the branches have serious challenges from lack of meeting places to lack of material support, therefore if those contesting for Regional and National elections are made to visit them it helps in exposing their challenges for quick address. It also will help to identify those branches that only exist on paper.
The NDC must expand it electoral college for Regional and National elections to also eliminate the practice of Caucus which characterized the last elections. The day of candidate gathering constituency executive and share money, so to get electoral favor, would be eliminated if the party expands the electoral college for Regional and National elections.
This will give both candidates and delegates from the branches the opportunity to interact on challenges facing the branches and how best they can join resources to help build the branches.
As earlier imply, the branches are the foundation of our party and if the foundation is allowed to waste away by excluding them from decisions making at the upper levels of the party then we are not building a good foundation for our party.
I would like to encourage the Functional Executive Committee of the NDC to thoroughly consider this and act appropriately in the interests of the party at the grassroots level.
Like it was done in the presidential primaries where all the nine (9) branch executives were allowed to elect the flag bearer of the party, I suggest the same thing should be done for the election of the Regional and National executives.
There is no doubt that the interaction that took place between the branches and the presidential aspirants contributed largely to our wonderful performance during the general election, in which the NDC reclaimed some seat from the defunct substandard NPP administration led by third class president Nana Akufo-Addo and the charlatan Dr. Bawumia.
These Regional and National elections should encourage candidates to visit the branches so to convince them why they are worthy candidates to lead the party at the Regional and National levels.
Our party is a grassroots party, and it derives its strength from the grassroots. If we keep denying the branches their right to elect their Regional and National leaders, then we cannot say we are building a grassroots base enhanced party.
Just like our late founder advised at Cape Coast Stadium during the 2016 campaign launch, “Let me just give you one point. The NPP cannot be underestimated, you know it and I know it. They are existing for a long time, and have been changing their names until this day. The nature of who they are, and what they are and where they’ve come from, it’s something they are happy with; they will be there for a long time” (J. J Rawlings)
The current NDC is yet to learn something from this statement.
The NDC as a political party is a grassroots-based political party that derives its strength from its branches, while the NPP we all know is a well-oiled propaganda machine which source of strength is derived from the airwaves (the media) and you can’t beat them to it.
Since 2016 NDC keeps trying to overshadow the NPP in their field of politicking, and this has contributed to the NDC neglecting the base of the party which is the source of strength for the party.
And the long-standing unobserved exclusion of the branch representatives to the right to choose their regional and national executives of which has largely led to vote buying which is foreign to the June 4th-31st December tradition which birth the NDC as social democratic force.
Just like Mr. Kwesi Pratt pointed, “it is friendly fire that will finally destroy the NDC” the NDC is neglecting the social democratic political culture which gives room for all inclusiveness and grassroot mobilization, and going after liberalist political culture of elitism (state capture) which is only familiar with the Elephant party
It is not too late for the NDC to consider reforms that will give the grassroot more participating right.
Arise, arise for Ghana!
Ye patriots of the land
Towards secure future
Development our goal
From victory unto victory
The NDC shall lead
A stable democracy, Ghana
Our strength in unity.
From victory unto victory
The NDC shall lead
A stable democracy, Ghana
Our strength in unity.
This anthem contains a lot.
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