'CPP,PNC merger good but . . .'

Political page May 17/2008

Story: Charles Benoni Okine

A Governance expert of the Institute of Democratic Governance (IDEG), Mr Kwesi Jonah, has said that the alliance between the Conventions People’s Party (CPP) and the People’s National Convention (PNC) will not make any significant impact on the fortunes of the two biggest parties in the country, namely the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
According to him, although the alliance was an important achievement, the two parties lacked the capacity to undo the two strong parties which had representations and offices in every corner of the country.
Reacting to the alliance of the two most popular Nkrumaist parties in an interview, Mr Jonah, who is a Senior Research Fellow at the IDEG, described the alliance as “psychologically good for the two parties, but not good on the ground”.
He recalled the performance of the two Nkrumaist parties in the previous general election, and said while the CPP had about one per cent, the PNC had about three per cent.
In Parliament, he said, the two parties combined also had only seven parliamentarians, out of the 230, which made them weak when combined.
Mr Jonah said the parties also did not have representations with regard to offices in various parts of the country, and wondered if they could make any inroad in the December general election.
He, however, did not play down on the vim and excitement the new Presidential Candidate of the CPP, Dr Paa Kwesi Nduom, had brought into the party, saying “he has done well so far to revive the CPP”.
Mr Jonah said the Dr Nduom also brought a lot of enthusiasm into the party, but indicated that it would be difficult for the alliance to invade the support base of the two biggest parties.
On the alliance proper, he said the two parties needed to have the approval of their congresses.
“The leadership of the party cannot just sit to agree to an alliance without the consent of their congresses,” he said.
He said the parties needed feedback from their congresses to be able to inform the Electoral Commission (EC) on what they had arrived at.
Mr Jonah said with the alliance, there should be a common symbol and other information which the EC would work with.
He said since the story was new, he was yet to study the kind of alliance the two parties had entered into to be able to make any further comments.
Mr Jonah, however, reiterated that the alliance was nothing much to change the voting pattern.