As Atta Mills faces internal dissent over second term bid, will the NDC survive?

For the first time in its recent democratic history, a sitting president in Ghana is being seriously challenged for his party’s nomination.

When Nana Konadu Rawlings decided to vie for the flagbearership of her party, some thought it was nothing but a bad joke. After all, incumbents in many democracies almost always get re-nominated. At least this has been the convention in Ghana’s nascent democratic politics. In fully fledged democracies such as the United States, internal challenges to a sitting president are nothing new. James Buchanan challenged Franklin Piece, Regan challenged Ford, JFK/McCarthy challenged Johnson, Ted Kennedy went against Carter and more recently Pat Buchanan fought the senior Bush. Yet only a handful of such confrontations have been successful.

Democratic Maturity vs. Partisan Imbroglio

After almost two decades of liberal democracy, this is the first time a sitting president is being seriously challenged in a party primary. Konadu’s presidential aspirations can be perceived through two prisms. First, it can be viewed as an attempt to re-gain control over the party built squarely around her husband and herself but which they’re gradually (if not embarrassingly) losing control of. On other hand, this can also be seen as a sign of democratic growth in Ghana as incumbents can no longer take their re-nomination for granted.

End of an era

Let’s face it: the sight of a “Rawlings” whether Agyeman or JJ subjecting themselves to scrutinization by other human being in Ghana is not one that many would have conjured up a decade or two ago. To see Nana Konadu grilled by “mere mortals” and succumbing herself to the process is indicative of how things have changed in Ghana. Both Rawlings’s are still potent voices within the partisan and national political scene in Ghana. There have been reports of a potential Rawlings coup or party split. However for the wife of a former dictator who was very much an active player in her husband’s iron fisted rule to come down to such levels indicates that the days of personality based politics in Ghana may soon be waning.

Mills now his own man

One of the most important outcomes of this whole partisan bickering is what it has done for Atta Mills’ reputation. Often viewed under JJ’s shadow, Atta Mills is finally beginning to emerge as his own man. It might be too late and no one can make empirical correlations between such a development and his performance but it does reflect well on his political image. In other words Atta Mills will now have a legitimate voice, legitimate constituency, legitimate bargaining chip and ultimately legitimate influence within his party.

Ghana wins

Overall if the NDC emerges from congress still standing, they should look back at this period with pride rather than prejudice. The NPP has already scored raving reviews over their restructured all-inclusive party nomination procedures. If the NDC sticks despite dissent, it will signify a coming of age for a party whose history is mired in military coups and iron-fisted rule. No matter our political stripes, we should wish the Akatamanso folks a successful congress. This is because strong party systems generally reflect positively on the national level. And in the end, the Ghanaian state wins big time.