THE NDC MUST DEAL WITH PRESIDENT MILLS' UNELECTABILITY NOW!

By the time Ghana went to the polls in December 2008, a majority of the independent-minded and patriotic individuals (as opposed to the "My-party-my-tribe-right-or-wrong" myrmidon-types whose blinkered support for political parties, and intolerance, is slowly destroying Ghanaian democracy), whose crucial swing-votes now elect Ghanaian presidents, had become completely fed up with the unfathomable greed; endless abuse of office; outrageous nepotism; high-level corruption; and the divisive tribal-supremacist arrogance of Kufuor & Co., that they were determined to vote the New Patriotic Party (NPP) out of power in that election for the presidency.

They welcomed the historic opportunity for Ghana to end high-level corruption, which the election of President Mills, a gentleman many of them regarded as honest and incorruptible, represented, for them.

The dismissal of Martin Amidu, from his position as Attorney General, after he revealed to the nation that gargantuan crimes were being committed against Ghanaians by regime-insiders, shocked many in this important group of discerning Ghanaian voters, to the core.

Alas, it has eroded their confidence in the administration of the honest President Mills - whose inability to curb corruption amongst some of those in his administration (famously referred to by ex-President Rawlings, as "greedy bastards"), has made these patriotic individuals become thoroughly disenchanted with his leadership.

To many of these patriotic individuals, an honest leader unable to deal firmly with corrupt members of his administration, by dismissing and prosecuting them, is of little use to Ghana - a nation whose major stumbling block to economic development that benefits a majority of its people (as opposed to economic growth that enriches a well-connected and powerful few, with greedy ambitions - to paraphrase President Nkrumah), is high-level corruption.

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) ought to wake up to the reality of their party's present predicament. They must understand that the elections will not be about the achievements of their regime - which are many and deserving of praise.

If he stands for re-election, it will be a referendum on President Mills' leadership. It is time they all understood clearly that President Mills' dismissal of Martin Amidu, and his perceived inability to deal with the "greedy bastards" in his administration, by sacking them, are insurmountable obstacles to Mills' re-election.

The plain truth, is that even if he succeeds in turning Ghana into paradise by December 2012, Ghanaians will not re-elect President Mills in that presidential poll - because they feel that he is a weak leader, who is unable to root out high-level corruption in his regime.

(Incidentally, their salvation lies in a ticket consisting of Martin Amidu for president, with Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings, as his running-mate. That is the creative and thinking-outside-the-box solution, to securing the victory for a second 4-year tenure, which their party's many achievements in office thus far, make them deserve. But I digress.)

The NDC must stop burying its collective head in the sand and confront the painful truth that President Mills is unelectable now - and deal with it before it becomes too late for their party to do anything about it. A word to the wise...

Tel (Powered by Tigo - the one mobile phone network in Ghana, which actually works!): + 233 (0) 27 745 3109.