Winner Gives All - Ekow Duncan Writes

The current political agitation for the consumption of the unwary and those of us with a herd mentality is the agitation against the political and electoral process of “winner takes all”

The argument of the agitation is that our nation has competent men and women who do not want to participate in the rough and tumble of the “dirty game” of politics but have expertise that the government should bring into government for good governance.

An inference is that their service to the nation is conditional. They want an unconditional access to power even if that involves the denial of the right of the people to choose their leaders. They refuse to serve the motherland under any condition because of their “high intelligence and capability”

The argument reflects a creeping elitism in national politics that is reminiscent of the struggle for independence. The expectation of the intelligentsia in the struggle for independence was that political power would be transferred to them by the colonial authority on account of their education and birth.

The formation of the Convention People’s Party scuttled this obtuse expectation and unearned rights to political power. The existence of the CPP necessitated competitive electoral politics for the selection of national political leaders. Kwame Nkrumah and his verandah boys of the CPP won three elections on the trot in 1951, 1954 and 1956 to terminate the ambition of the intelligentsia to political power on account of their education and without struggle and acceptance by the people.

The neo-intelligentsia with a different but cloudy argument aspires to share political power by the same path as their predecessors without struggle. What they want by their specious argument is a national acceptance of their unearned right to “take part” of what has been given to the winner. In other words, they want to share power by an inclusion in an “all inclusive” government.

The alternative or remedial position is the rejection of the electoral method of “first past the post” that has proved efficient for the delivery of a united, strong and responsible government in the oldest parliamentary democracy in the world and still functional.

The neo intelligentsia has no moral scruple to deny the people their democratic right to elect their political leaders that is in compliance with our constitution that power derives from the people.

They also snub the value of the party system as a refinery of character that determines and makes political actors fit for responsible political office.

The more important fact is if it is the case that our “natural leaders” are not toughened by the evils of slavery and colonialism to resist neo-liberalist economic instruments of deprivation and subjugation such as the Plant Breeders Bill, Economic Partnership Agreement and Structural Adjustment policies of fiscal austerity and trade liberalisation then their claim to political leadership of post- colonial Africa is inept.

There is no shred of doubt that from the conduct of governance and the reward of political office in our country in the present, the agitation of the neo-intelligentsia against the “winner takes all” and demand for an “all inclusive” government is only a ploy to partake in the spoils of office to fill their pockets and bulging stomachs without struggle and responsibility and in complete disregard and evasion of the right of the people to evaluate and choose their own leaders. The Convention People’s Party is opposed to this miscreant approach to political power by the neo-intelligentsia and the agitation against the principle of winner takes all.

In contrast, the Convention People’s Party with the dedication and commitment of disciplined leaders and members educated in her Nkrumaist development policy guidelines shall when in power be a responsible government that will give all for the prosperity of the people. This is our covenant with the people.

We owe this to the legacy of our founding father Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah and his CPP Government of the First Republic. Osagyefo built no personal fortune and properties from his political office. He gave his all to a prosperous Ghana of his dreams.

The CPP Government of the First Republic delivered social investments in health, education and housing that gave equal opportunities to all. It delivered agricultural and manufacturing investments that gave jobs to the people and transformed the structure of our national economy from a peasant agricultural economy to an emerging industrialised nation.

In a continuation, an elected government of the CPP will give all to science and research to promote the production of cereals, legumes, roots and tubers by our farmers to achieve food security and support the poultry, beverages and oil and fat industries.,

A CPP Government will give all to science and research for the development of local construction materials such as clay products, bamboo, rattan, aluminum and glass to support the delivery of affordable houses to the middle and low income earners and the construction of schools, clinics and hospitals.

A CPP Government will give all to science and research for the production of sugar cane by our farmers to support the confectionary and alcohol blending industry.

We are committed by our unique Nkrumaist development policy guidelines to develop the productive resources of our nation to meet our needs and export and not to use our political office as a means to satisfy our personal needs. We shall cross every river and climb every mountain to serve our country. We will as winners give all to our nation. This is our pledge to our motherland.

The writer is the Chairman of the Political Committee of the CPP

Source: The New Crusading Guide