DEEPENING OUR DEMOCRACY (AUGUST 7, 2010)

THE nation’s largest opposition party, the New Patriotic Party (NPP), is on the threshold of making history today as it conducts primaries to elect a flag bearer for the 2012 general election.
Unlike previous congresses where about 2,000 delegates decided on the person to be given the mantle of leadership, this time around, the electoral college has been expanded to 115,000 delegates, including constituency executives from all the 230 constituencies.
The decision to expand the electoral college to 115,000, making it the largest electoral college on the continent has been widely welcomed by supporters of the party and other observers because of its potential of improving upon the democratic credentials of the country and the continent at large.
Most of NPP executives voted for the expansion because they believed the time was ripe for grassroot supporters of the party to also take part in the decision-making process of the party and, more importantly, to determine who becomes their flag bearer.
Except for the delegates from the Ablekuma North and South constituencies, who are settling some issues in court, as many as 113,000 delegates from 228 constituencies across the country will be involved in today’s event, which begins at 8 a.m. and ends at 3 p.m.
In every human endeavour, there are bound to be some hitches, particularly so when a new process is being introduced. But this being purely an intra-party affair, the DAILY GRAPHIC expects all those taking part in this important exercise to demonstrate self-restraint and ensure that the event passes off successfully.
Without doubt, all the five candidates vying for the high office of flag bearer — Nana Akufo-Addo, Alan Kyerematen, Prof. Frimpong-Boateng, Isaac Osei and Kwame Koduah — are fine gentlemen in their own right and we wish them all the best in their quest to assume the leadership of the Danquah-Busia tradition.
What is important is that everybody will be watching with keen interest not so much for the eventual winner but for the success or otherwise of the novelty the NPP has introduced into our body politic and to what extent it will improve governance.
Today's exercise may be seen as an internal arrangement by the rank and file of the party but internal democracy enhances good governance. If political parties fail to adhere to the democratic principles and allow a few influential persons to dictate the way things should be done, we may breed dictators in institutions meant to promote democratic principles.
As the delegates cast their votes today, the DAILY GRAPHIC wishes to remind all true democrats that political parties are not only for elections but are also veritable nurturing grounds for leadership. May the best candidate emerge victorious.