VZCZCXRO8555
PP RUEHMA RUEHPA
DE RUEHAR #2451/01 3330750
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 290750Z NOV 07
FM AMEMBASSY ACCRA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5751
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ACCRA 002451 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL ECON GH
SUBJECT: NPP PARTY LEADERS LOOK TO REUNIFY PARTY AFTER 
CONTENTIOUS CANDIDATE SELECTION 
 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: In a November 19 meeting with POL Chief and 
POL FSN, New Patriotic Party (NPP) Chairman Peter Mac-Manu 
said he is focusing on maintaining NPP unity as the party 
undergoes a contentious leadership contest in the run up to 
its December party congress.  Mac-Manu said he recently met 
all 19 NPP presidential contenders and stressed that only one 
will receive the party nomination and that the other 18 must 
be "good losers."  Mac-Manu also noted that while the 
leadership contest has featured personality over substance, 
the NPP will contest the election based on its record over 
the past eight years compared to the National Democratic 
Congress' (NDC) record during the prior eight years. 
Mac-Manu also acknowledged that resurgent smaller parties 
could have an effect on the election next December, and said 
the NPP would entertain discussions with these parties should 
it be advantageous to cut a deal for their support. END 
SUMMARY. 
 
NPP Election Strategy 
--------------------- 
 
¶2. (U) POL Chief and POL FSN met November 19 with NPP 
Chairman Peter Mac-Manu and Charles Owiredu, NPP Director for 
International Affairs.  After reviewing the history of the 
NPP as Ghana's center-right party, Mac-Manu emphasized that 
the NPP would contest the 2008 election on its successful 
management of Ghana's economy.  He noted that during eight 
years, the government had increased VAT revenue from GH Cedis 
1 trillion to GH Cedis 4.7 trillion, that inflation had 
declined from 22 to 10.8 percent, and that bank interest 
rates are significantly lower.  Mac-Manu also stressed that 
the NPP was a friend of the private sector and had 
successfully managed Ghana's relationships with foreign 
donors. 
 
Party Leadership Battle 
----------------------- 
 
¶3. (SBU) Mac-Manu said that he is currently focused on the 
NPP leadership contest, and admitted some concern over the 
number of contestants for the NPP nomination.  He noted that 
he had recently met with all 19 presidential candidates and 
told them only one would emerge as the party's flagbearer. 
Therefore, Mac-Manu said, he stressed the need for the losers 
to rally behind the winner and avoid internal divisions after 
the December party congress.  He downplayed the importance of 
which individual emerges as NPP presidential candidate, 
adding that a recent poll suggested that NPP voters vote more 
for the party than for individual personalities.  He stressed 
that the party Secretariat is maintaining strict neutrality 
to ensure a transparent leadership election. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Mac-Manu conceded that several of the smaller 
parties, notably the Convention People's Party (CPP), may be 
stronger in the 2008 elections than in prior years, and that 
this could be a factor in the election.  Therefore, Mac-Manu 
said the NPP is open to discussing cooperative arrangements 
with smaller parties should that prove politically 
advantageous to the NPP. 
 
Inter-party Relations 
--------------------- 
 
¶5. (SBU) Regarding NPP-NDC relations, Mac-Manu said he 
personally has a good relationship with his counterparts in 
the NDC and with smaller parties.  He acknowledged some 
bitterness, but said the relationships were getting better. 
He attributed this in part to foreign donor support for 
institutions such as the Institute for Economic Affairs, 
which has served as a forum for inter-party discussions on 
issues such as public financing. 
 
Overseas Voting 
--------------- 
 
¶6. (SBU) Concerning the Representation of the People's 
Amendment Act (ROPAA), which would allow overseas Ghanaians 
to vote, and which has been vehemently opposed by parties 
other than the NPP, Mac-Manu said the goal is to "bring on 
board" Ghanaians in the diaspora.  He said Ghanaians abroad 
contribute substantially to the country through remittances, 
and noted that other African countries have allowed voting by 
overseas citizens.  Nevertheless, Mac-Manu conceded that 
preparations to implement ROPAA were not well advanced, and 
said the NPP was not "in a hurry" to see the law implemented 
for the 2008 election. 
 
Election Preparations 
--------------------- 
 
¶7. (U) Mac-Manu said that Ghana's Electoral Commission (EC) 
 
ACCRA 00002451  002 OF 002 
 
 
was one of the most competent in the region, and the NPP is 
confident that it will conduct a credible election.  He noted 
that there has been difficulty in updating the voter 
registration lists, however, due to the need to replace 
outdated Polaroid cameras used to produce voter 
identification documents.  In addition, Mac-Manu said that 
the EC has consistently supported political parties with 
training and vehicles.  Mac-Manu also signaled that the NPP 
supports a recent announcement (following inter-party 
discussions) in favor of public financing of political 
parties, and is looking forward to a bill being submitted to 
parliament. 
 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
¶8. (SBU) As a longtime NPP loyalist from the Ashanti region, 
Mac-Manu won the party chairmanship after serving as chairman 
of the NPP's Western Region branch from 1998-2005.  In that 
position, Mac-Manu earned a reputation as a formidable party 
activist by increasing the number of NPP Western Region 
parliamentary seats from 3 to 12 and increasing the NPP share 
of the presidential vote from 40.9% to 57.8%.  While 
Mac-Manu's remarks demonstrated optimism concerning his 
ability to bring the party together following a contentious 
leadership battle, his comments also suggest continuing 
serious concern within the NPP that divisions emerging from 
the nomination contest will persist past the December party 
Congress. END COMMENT. 
BRIDGEWATER