This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ACCRA 000638 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/17/2016 
TAGS: PGOV PREL GH GOG
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR MEETS OPPOSITION NDC LEADER JOHN ATTA 
MILLS 
 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Pamela E. Bridgewater for reasons 1.5 d and e 
. 
 
¶1.  (C)  Summary:  On March 7, Ambassador met with Professor 
John Evans Atta Mills, former Vice President and two-time 
presidential candidate for the opposition National Democratic 
Congress (NDC) party.  Mills deliberately but firmly 
criticized the ruling NPP government as corrupt and 
vindictive.  If selected as the NDC candidate for the 2008 
election (which he expects), he would boycott the election if 
overseas Ghanaians are allowed to vote, in accordance with 
the recently passed Representation of the People law (ROPAL). 
 Politics is deeply divided along partisan and ethnic lines 
in Ghana, he said.  Ambassador agreed the overseas voting had 
to be done fairly and urged Mills and the NDC to find a way 
to maintain dialogue with the NPP.  End summary. 
 
Overall Distrust for the NPP 
---------------------------- 
 
¶2.  (C)  Professor Mills told Ambassador he reached out in 
good faith to cooperate with the new NPP government when it 
came in power in 2000.  However, within his first month of 
office, President Kufuor threw a number of NDC activists in 
jail and came to Mills' house with armed men to interrogate 
his wife, he said.  Kufuor has never called him and he avoids 
any contact with the President.  He reiterated once again 
that the Kufuor government is marked by corruption and 
cronyism and the average Ghanaian is unhappy. He contended 
that the NPP stole the 2004 election but that he has not made 
a big issue out of election irregularities because "we want 
peace and can ill afford disintegration." 
 
Angry with the ROPA Law 
----------------------- 
 
¶3.  (C)  Mills told Ambassador the Representation of the 
People (Amendment) law (ROPAL) is "a recipe for rigging 
elections...signed into law with indecent haste."  (Note: 
ROPAL allows all Ghanaians residing abroad to vote in Ghana's 
elections.  End note.)  There is no level playing field, he 
said, noting that the NPP has already been campaigning 
abroad, aided by official travel and state resources.  The 
NDC does not believe GOG Ambassadors can impartially 
administer overseas balloting and the party lacks funds for 
candidates to travel abroad or for party agents to be at 
every overseas voting site.  Mills voiced concerns about 
possible fraud in Ghanaian passports and identity cards, 
which threaten the credibility of absentee voting. 
 
¶4.  (C)  The Electoral Commission (EC) had not yet met with 
the NDC to discuss the bill.  The EC's technical difficulties 
in past elections suggest that it needs to administer several 
more domestic elections before Ghana is ready for overseas 
balloting, Mills alleged.  Mills believes he will be the NDC 
flagbearer again in 2008 but said he would boycott the 
election if overseas voting is allowed, in accordance with 
the ROPAL. 
 
Polarized Politics 
------------------ 
 
¶5.  (C)  Politics is very polarized and ethnically divided, 
Mills said, adding that the current "Great Ashanti project is 
terrifying." (note:  President Kufuor is an ethnic Ashanti, 
as are many at the top levels of his government.  End note.) 
He would try to hold the country together, but "the time 
comes when the people you lead take over," he said. 
 
Ambassador Urges Dialogue 
------------------------- 
 
¶6.  (C)  Ambassador stated it was important for all Ghanaians 
to see a democracy dividend.  Ghana needs a strong opposition 
and the NDC has to find ways to engage and dialogue with the 
NPP in a responsible and productive way.  The United States 
has had overseas voting for years, but it is important to 
ensure such a voting process is fair and implemented in 
consultation with all parties.  Politicians should put the 
better interests of Ghana above their party and ethnic 
divisions, she said.  Mills affirmed that the USG has 
influence over the GOG and said he would continue to seek 
dialogue with the NPP. 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶7.  (C)  Although soft-spoken, Mills is prone to speak in 
dramatic phrases, both publicly and privately. In a 
conversation with PolChief six months ago, Mills also claimed 
the 2004 election was rigged and said the NDC would boycott 
the 2008 election if the ROPA bill is passed.  Some of this 
rhetoric is probably aimed at countering critics within the 
NDC who view him as too mild mannered and conciliatory. 
Nonetheless, his views about ROPAL and Ghana's polarized 
politics reflect a broad-based sentiment in the NDC and in 
other opposition parties (septel). An opposition boycott of 
the 2008 election seems unlikely at this point. 
Unfortunately, however, like others in his party, Mills is 
unable to articulate an alternate plan that would move Ghana 
beyond the current confrontation over ROPAL. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
BRIDGEWATER