* Nomination puts him pole position for party’s candidate
* Eyes turned swiftly to December vote after president’s
death
By Kwasi Kpodo
ACCRA, July 26 (Reuters) – Ghana’s ruling National
Democratic Congress (NDC) has confirmed newly sworn-in President
John Dramani Mahama as its leader in a move seen as boosting his
chances of becoming the party’s candidate in a presidential
election later this year.
The West African oil, cocoa and gold producer has seen a
smooth transition of power following the sudden death of
President John Atta Mills on Tuesday, but attention has already
turned to who will replace him as the NDC’s flagbearer in the
December vote.
NDC Deputy General Secretary George Lawson said the party
confirmed Mahama’s leadership at a meeting on Wednesday, in line
with the bylaws of the party’s constitution.
“The meeting unanimously confirmed His Excellency President
John Mahama as the party’s new leader. It was a smooth process,”
Lawson told Reuters on Thursday.
The NDC was due to hold another meeting on Thursday to
hammer out a process for electing a candidate to run against the
opposition New Patriotic Party’s Nana Akufo-Addo in what is
expected to be a tight race.
A domestic analyst and party officials said Mahama’s new
position as leader of the party, a post previously held by
Mills, would help clear the path to nomination as its candidate.
“We don’t think there will be any contest. It’s going to be
President Mahama,” one key NDC leader told Reuters, asking not
to be named.
Analyst Emmanuel Akwetey of the Accra-based Institute of
Democratic Governance said the fact that Mahama will enter the
competition as Ghana’s sitting president would also work in his
favour.
“I think it’s a done deal,” Akwetey said.
Ahead of Mills’ death, most analysts had expected a year of
election spending testing Ghana’s reputation for improved
economic management. The government last week sought
parliament’s permission for extra spending.
Mahama is widely expected to maintain current policies in
his caretaker role.
There had been concerns that uncertainty following Mills’
death and the prospect of a possible internal struggle within
the ruling party could unsettle the political outlook.
One potential challenger is seen as Nana Konadu, wife of
former president Jerry Rawlings, who Mills crushed in a divisive
party primary.
In an interview to the BBC on Wednesday, former president
Rawlings appeared to lay bare some of the existing divisions,
claiming that health problems had affected Mills’ performance
and criticised him for not attending to them better.
Ghana has been one of the best performing economies in
Africa over the last few years, helped by high oil prices.
However with exported oil and imported consumer goods paid
for in dollars, the local Ghanaian currency has suffered,
falling some 17 percent this year and hitting poorer people
without access to foreign currency.
Analysts had worried prolonged political uncertainly might
delay efforts to address this.
(Editing by Joe Bavier and Myra MacDonald)
