VZCZCXRO2234
OO RUEHMA RUEHPA
DE RUEHAR #0484/01 0601811
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 011811Z MAR 07
FM AMEMBASSY ACCRA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3852
INFO RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
RHMFISS/CDR USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RUEKDIA/DIA WASHDC
RUEHLMC/MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORP

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ACCRA 000484 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: GH KDEM PGOV PREL
SUBJECT: DIVIDED POLITICS ON THE EVE OF GHANA'S JUBILEE 
 
 
ACCRA 00000484  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1.  (SBU)  Summary:  Heading into its Jubilee week, Ghanaian 
politics is heated and polarized.  The ruling NPP party and 
the main opposition NDC party have recently offered 
contrasting views of the state of the nation.  NDC 
presidential candidate John Atta Mills will participate in 
Jubilee activities, although former President Rawlings 
reportedly will not.  End summary. 
 
¶2.  (U)  Less than one week before the March 6 Jubilee 
celebration of Ghana's 50th anniversary and mid-way into 
President Kufuor's second term, the political atmosphere in 
Ghana is charged.  The two main parties remain strongly 
divided about the state of the nation. 
 
The President's State of the Nation Address 
------------------------------------------- 
 
¶3.  (U)  On February 8, President Kufuor delivered his annual 
State of the Nation address to a half-empty parliament (the 
NDC was boycotting parliament -- see para 8).  He declared 
"Ghana, the Black Star of Africa, is on the rise" and 
enumerated many successes:  Ghana's selection as the AU 
Chair, Ghana's macroeconomic success (including its largest 
ever cocoa crop), large new investments by US companies like 
Cargill (cocoa processing) and Newmont Gold, and increased 
school enrollment.  He also noted a number of problems: 
Ghana's energy crisis, pockets of conflict (mainly from 
chieftaincy disputes), low salaries and high unemployment. 
 
¶4.  (U)  On the energy crisis, he addressed several long-term 
solutions as well as the shorter term solutions of purchasing 
200 megawatts from the West African Power Pool, building two 
new power plants in Tema, and installing a 120 megawatt power 
barge.  The GOG has contracted three U.S. companies to 
produce up to 100 megawatts by the end of April, he said 
(Note: some of this U.S. equipment has already arrived.  End 
note.)  Altogether, his plans called for an additional 500 
megawatts, far in excess of the current shortfall but needed 
over the long term. 
 
¶5.  (U)  In other economic highlights, Kufuor said two new 
biotech and accelerator labs will be built in the college of 
nuclear sciences.  The GOG has backed a program to eliminate 
the worst forms of child labor and supported the disability 
bill, he said.  The GOG has launched several significant 
water supply and road projects and expanded the National 
Health Insurance Scheme.  Kufuor highlighted the signing of 
the MCA compact as good for the whole country and a major 
boost to job creation.  He noted that the AGOA Forum is 
coming up later this year.  Ghana plans to build a fiber 
optic backbone with a $30 million loan from China and plans 
to privatize Westel and Ghana telecom this year, he said. 
 
¶6.  (U)  Kufuor stressed the importance of good governance, 
pledging to strengthen local government and funding for the 
police.  He said the government was "determined to eradicate 
the menace of drugs." 
 
¶7.  (U)  He concluded with the need to celebrate the Jubilee, 
admonishing "we should be careful not to be known as those 
that know the cost of everything and the value of nothing." 
He acknowledged Ghana had fallen short and had difficulties, 
but claimed Ghanaians should celebrate the fact that the 
country had recovered its path and should take pride in the 
country.  He hoped the NDC would return to parliament. 
 
NDC Frustrated and Demoralized 
------------------------------ 
 
¶8.  (SBU)  The NDC has become increasingly frustrated.  On 
February 5, former NDC Trade and Industry Minister Daniel 
Abodakpi was sentenced to ten years with hard labor for 
allegedly defrauding the state of $400,000.  The NDC saw the 
decision as politically motivated and all 94 NDC MPs walked 
out of parliament for two weeks.  On February 14, the NDC 
offered its own "True State of the Nation" depicting Ghana's 
situation as "a picture of desperation and despair, doom and 
gloom of the future with dark clouds of fear and insecurity." 
The report criticized the NPP for supporting selective 
justice targeting the NDC, for failing to tackle corruption 
or violent crime, for energy shortages and other economic 
problems, and for alleged lack of accountability in Jubilee 
funds and other major GOG projects. 
 
¶9.  (U)  NDC Minority leader Albin Bagbin recently emphasized 
to PolChief  that he was "worried about the country," arguing 
 
ACCRA 00000484  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
that civil society is being muted and Kufuor surrounds 
himself with people who misinform him.  The NDC is angry that 
it was not consulted about the Jubilee celebration and that 
the NPP mocked its February 14 State of the Nation statement, 
Bagbin said. 
¶10.  (SBU)  On February 15, a large delegation of prominent 
citizens called on former President Rawlings and a group of 
16 NDC leaders, including NDC presidential candidate John 
Atta Mills.  They reportedly offered an open invitation, on 
behalf of the government, for Rawlings to attend any and all 
Jubilee events.  According to Rawlings Special Aide and 
Public Affairs Director Victor Smith, who was in the meeting, 
Rawlings, Mills and others were impressed by the prominence 
of the individuals but were frustrated that they lacked 
details about the invitation (and did not have a written 
invite).  The NDC officials "took them to task" for three 
hours, highlighting a litany of problems in the country, 
according to Smith. 
 
¶11.  (SBU)  Bagbin told PolChief he had worked with National 
Security Minister Francis Poku to craft an acceptable 
invitation to include Rawlings in the Jubilee event. 
However, none of this plan was reportedly reflected in the 
invitation extended by the group of eminent citizens to the 
former president.  In the end, Rawlings felt that the NPP has 
"demonized" him, making it difficult to participate in the 
Jubilee without significant gestures of inclusion and 
dialogue which were not offered, according to Bagbin. 
 
¶12.  (SBU)  According to Smith, Rawlings did not respond to 
the invitation during the meeting with Kufuor's emissaries. 
Smith and others have told us Rawlings has decided against 
attending Jubilee events.   Rawlings reportedly does not want 
to be on the dais with President Kufuor, whom he feels has 
offended him in many ways, including an ongoing effort to 
imprison his wife.   He does not want to be hypocritical 
about his participation nor does he want to create a scene or 
sulk, according to Smith. 
 
¶13.  (SBU)  Smith confirmed information from other NDC 
sources that NDC presidential candidate and former Vice 
President John Atta Mills will attend the Jubilee parade and 
reception, "with reservations".  According to his close 
confidants, Mills feels that his participation in the Jubilee 
was necessary as a presidential candidate and he hopes it 
will help him gain recognition among international visitors. 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶14.  (SBU)  The NDC decision to participate in Jubilee events 
came after long deliberations and reflects a compromise (as 
Smith told PolChief, the issue of Rawlings' participation was 
seen as totally different from the party's role).  It will 
help improve the political atmosphere next week.  According 
to the March 1 Statesman newspaper, Rawlings has changed his 
mind and will now participate in Jubilee activities.  Victor 
Smith told Pol FSN he has no information to confirm this 
report.  While Rawlings is unpredictable, we would be 
surprised if he attends next week's event, given his deep, 
personal sense of grievance and the country's polarized 
politics. 
 
¶15.  (SBU)  Some Ghanaians are beginning to get into a 
celebratory spirit.  Vendors are selling commemorative 
shirts, books, souvenirs and Ghanaian flags.  The news 
reports that Stevie Wonder and other celebrities will be in 
town.  On the political front, parliament's passage of a 
domestic violence bill after years of discussion is a major 
positive development.   However, the divisions between the 
NDC and NPP have compounded other events over the past month 
-- the murder of a prominent journalist, energy shortages, 
widespread questioning about the use of Jubilee funds, and 
late and disorganized planning for Jubilee events -- which 
have soured the atmosphere in Accra on the eve of Ghana's big 
celebration.  Outside of Accra, the Jubilee seems hardly 
noticed. 
 
 
 
BRIDGEWATER