Klottey Korle NDC parliamentary primaries - marking end of Rawlings

Klottey Korle NDC parliamentary primaries - marking end of Rawlings politics or retirement of Armah Ashietey?


As Saturday November 21 2015 draw closer, my interest is zooming down to one of the constituencies that has generated massive interest in the media and among the Ghanaian public - The Klottey Korle constituency.

This constituency is a cosmopolitan constituency covering nine (9) wards including Osu Doku, Alata, Adabraka, Tudu, Sahara, ringway etc.

The two main contenders are Zanetor Rawlings, first daughter of former President and NDC founder Jerry John Rawlings. A medical doctor practicing abroad, she recently announced her entry into Ghana politics by challenging the Incumbent MP Nii Armah Ashietey.

Nii Armah Ashietey is running for the third term in office. If he wins, he will be running for the Last time presumably. We don't need a soothsayer to tell us that he won't have the support of Zanetor Rawlings in the Main campaign in 2016 if he wins.

If Nii Armah Ashietey should loose, it will be the end of the road for him. And we also know he won't support Zanetor Rawlings in the 2016 campaigning. The disdain between the two candidates and their supporters is very obvious.

But what chances does Zanetor Rawlings have against the incumbent MP? She is said to be relatively new in the constituency, she has her father former President Rawlings out there campaigning for her, she seem to have goodwill with the media fraternity. Harry Zakour, a national vice chairman of the NDC is also openly campaigning for her.

Her mother Nana Konadu Agyeman - Rawlings who formed the National Democratic Party(NDP) out of the NDC is also out there accusing President John Mahama and the NDC government of incompetence.
She also says she will guide her daughter through her campaign for the NDC primaries though she will not campaign for her on an NDC platform.

People have accused Zanetor Rawlings of being a long and hidden destructive hand of her mother Nana Konadu Rawlings especially because Dr. Zane has not been able to counteract or discount any of her Mother's negative rhetoric against President Mahama and the NDC government.

Whether or not these things will play to her disadvantage or to her favor is in the hands of the delegates.

Former President Rawlings appears to be loosing popularity in recent times among the NDC followers. In 2011, he supported his wife in an attempt to unseat the sitting President Mills in Presidential primaries. She obtained 3.9% of the vote. Then in 2014, the NDC founder supported Stephen Akwetey against chairman Ade Coker for greater Accra regional NDC chairman. Adey Coker won despite Rawlings opposition.

It is therefore unclear but predictable if the open support for his daughter by former President Rawlings in this Klottey Korle parliamentary primaries will spell doom for her or if it will be a springboard to political fame.

It should not be very surprising if Nii Armah Ashietey loses. He has been there for two terms and many constituents may be disgruntled with him for lack of one benefit or the other.

For some of those constituents, this will be their golden chance to pay back by voting against the incumbent MP Nii Armah Ashietey.

There also seem to be a general call for youthful candidates to be endorsed in the upcoming primaries championed by the media. All these factors may work against the incumbent MP.

The incumbent MP however have an incumbent advantage both in the primaries as well as the general elections. His knowledge and control of the ground operating structures of the party may also give him an edge over his challenger.

Others have suggested that the incumbent advantage has been taken away by the expansion of the delegate register to every registered member of the NDC. Well, that remains to be seen after Saturday's election.
What is the end game?

The incumbent MP Nii Armah Ashietey must win the primaries and make his third and last attempt at parliament or lose it and retire from the job permanently.

Zanetor Rawlings must win the primaries and rise to political fame to try and restore the Rawlings family name in Ghanaian politics or lose and thereby bury the Rawlings family Glory once and for all.

Her loss will further confirm the continual rejection of Rawlings and the candidates he endorses to the NDC delegates. It will further push the Rawlings' further away from the center of power. Her loss may completely crush her political spirit and which could lead to her early exit from the game.

If Zanetor Rawlings wins, she would be giving an iota of relief to her parents and his ardent supports who feel that the NDC has been taken away from its 'rightful owners' - the Rawlings'.

Zanetor's win could also bring an end to the personal political ambitions of her mother Nana Konadu Agyeman - Rawlings who will become less relevant in the greater scheme of things.

In the end, it will be a winners take all and losers lose all outcome in Klottey Korle NDC come Saturday November 21 2015.

Source:
Lawrence Ntow
(Political blogger)