Wikileaks cable 07ACCRA2140: GOG NOT DOING ENOUGH TO COMBAT NARCOTICS

Reference ID	Created	Released	Classification	Origin
07ACCRA2140	2007-10-09 13:25	2011-08-30 01:44	SECRET	Embassy Accra

VZCZCXRO4463
OO RUEHPA
DE RUEHAR #2140/01 2821325
ZNY SSSSS ZZH
O 091325Z OCT 07
FM AMEMBASSY ACCRA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5476
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RUEHMD/AMEMBASSY MADRID IMMEDIATE 0029
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON IMMEDIATE 0243
RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE IMMEDIATE
RUEABND/DEA HQS WASHDC IMMEDIATE

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 03 ACCRA 002140 

SIPDIS 

SIPDIS 

DEPT FOR AF/W AND INL 

EO 12958 DECL: 10/04/2017 
TAGS PGOV, SNAR, PINR, PREL, GH 
SUBJECT: GOG NOT DOING ENOUGH TO COMBAT NARCOTICS 
REF: REF: A) 2005 ACCRA 2517 B) ACCRA 1437

Classified By: AMBASSADOR PAMELA E. BRIDGEWATER FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND

(D).

¶1. (C) SUMMARY: Recent discussions with Ghanaian officials and Western 

diplomats paint a disappointing picture of the Ghanaian Government,s 

efforts to combat its increasing problem with illegal narcotics trafficking.

Several GOG officials and others question whether Ghana,s leadership 

appreciates the magnitude of the problem and whether they have the will and/or

resources to address the problem. The Narcotics Control Board (NACOB) appears 

to have little clear direction or initiative, and one NACOB official told us 

he suspects some drug &barons8 have penetrated NACOB. The British 

Government is considering ending its successful Operation Westbridge 

project at the Accra,s international airport due to dissatisfaction with 

GOG efforts. The apparently high level of corruption or ineptitude at 

the airport was demonstrated in July, when UK officials found packets 

of cocaine taped under passenger seats on a KLM flight before passengers 

boarded the plane. The situation has generated substantial frustration 

among officials working to combat trafficking, and as one GOG official 

told us, the GOG must &wake up8 soon to the narcotics trade before 

it is too late. END SUMMARY.

¶2. (C) Recent conversations with the Narcotics Control Board (NACOB), 

Ghana Police, and diplomats have revealed little confidence in NACOB and 

GOG efforts to battle the flow of narcotics. Without exception, each 

indifidual with whom we spoke said the problem was increasing and that the 

GOG is largely clueless as to how to combat it. Some sources cited a lack 

of political will, while others said that the GOG fails to understand the 

magnitude of the crisis. All sources agreed that if the present trend 

continues, Ghana would likely see a corresponding rise in crime and drug 

abuse present in most transit countries.

NACOB: NOT ACTIVELY COMBATING NARCOTICS
---------------------------------------- 

¶3. (C) NACOB, according to one of its higher-ranking officials, is motionless. 

This official XXXXXXXXsaid that the GOG has effectively neutered NACOB since the 

embarrassing arrest in the U.S. of NPP MP Eric Amoateng in 2005 (ref A). All of 

the high-ranking officials during that time have been removed XXXXXXXX. He said 

the GOG was upset with NACOB since it cooperated closely with the USG on the case, 

which resulted in Amoateng,s guilty plea and subsequent imprisonment in the U.S. 

He added that no one at NACOB wants to rock the boat, including the new director, 

Ben Botwe, who lacks experience with narcotics enforcement.

¶4. (C) The current deputy at NACOB, Mark Ewuntomaah, is also a problem, according 

to Gary Nicholls, Second Secretary at the British Embassy, and we agree. According 

to Nicholls, Secretary to the President, Ambassador D.K. Osei, had
SIPDIS commented that Ewuntomaah should have stayed a retired police officer rather

than being recalled to NACOB. Our experience also underlines Ewuntomaah,s apparent 

unresponsiveness and generally incompetence. Despite repeated promises, Ewuntomaah 

was unable to even organize a tour of the airport for poloff.

¶5. (S) While there has also been a long absence of an Operations Chief at NACOB, 

Post learned recently that the GOG has designated an official for this position, 

but he is being sent to Germany for language training to take a course on 

combating narcotics. He is not expected to begin work for six more months. 

Nicholls noted that the UK no longer shares intelligence with NACOB, but rather 

deals directly with the Ghana Police.

¶6. (C) The NACOB official expects the GOG to do little to combat narcotics until 

after the 2008 presidential elections. The current policy, he said, is to go after 

couriers, but not the &barons8 who are behind the deals. The official claimed 

the &barons8 are generally large supporters of the NPP and he suggested that 

the ruling party has no plans to pursue these individuals even though many of 

their identities are known. He even suggested that some of the &barons8 have 

penetrated NACOB by recruiting NACOB officers to keep them informed. He also said 

that the British, with &Operation Westbridge8 at the Accra Airport,
ACCRA 00002140 002 OF 003
are the only real forces attempting to apprehend smugglers.

¶7. (C) Leadership at NACOB is clearly lacking. Everyone Emboffs spoke with 

concerning Ben Botwe, the current head of NACOB, had little positive to say. 

He has spoken frequently about awareness programs, and his comments have changed 

little since our first meeting with him in June (ref B). In a recent conversation 

with poloff, he suggested he is &ready to move on.8 He has made similar 

comments to our British colleagues and the senior official at NACOB confirmed 

these sentiments. Despite his apparent desire to leave, it appears that Botwe 

will remain for at least another year since he was asked by the President to 

assume this role.

POLITICAL WILL: IS IT THERE?
---------------------------- 

¶8. (S) In a separate conversation, XXXXXXXX , questioned whether the GOG 

leadership has the political will and human and financial capital to combat 

the drug trade. He said the GOG must &wake up8 and recognize the severity 

of the problem. He also said he has repeatedly warned GOG officials of the 

ever-increasing narcotics flow but said they do not listen. The politicians, 

he said, do not realize the level of violence and crime that will occur 

should the drug trade continue to increase. He also noted that the GOG 

is creating a new unit to focus on the drug trade. 

¶9. (C) Gary Nicholls echoed concerns about the lack of political will, and 

said the UK is considering ending its successful Operation Westbridge project 

at Kotoka International Airport. Nicholls said the UK is upset about Ghana's 

management of the programme. One problem, he said, is that NACOB has removed 

the UK trained NACOB officers from the airport and replaced them with untrained 

officers who lack basic counter-narcotics skills. More troubling, Nicholls said, 

is that when the Westbridge team is outside Ghana (it travels in and out from 

London) no seizures are made in Accra; however seizures increase markedly in 

London. He provided us with a spreadsheet showing seizures through the programme, 

and pointed out that no seizures had occurred in Accra since July 25, the day 

the team left Accra. However, 29 seizures were made in London through September 17.

Nicholls also pointed out an egregious mistake by the monitors in which NACOB 

officials &missed8 a two-ton shipment of cannabis, which, according to 

Nicholls, is nearly impossible to not see. Nicholls said UK officials have 

decided to put out the message via the Ghanaian media that it is dissatisfied 

with the program. (NOTE: One article has already appeared in the Daily 

Chronicle. END NOTE)

¶10. (C) The statistics from Operation Westbridge are quite striking. The 

ages of arrestees range from 16 to 55 and hail from Ghana, Nigeria, Romania, 

the Netherlands, the UK and New Zealand. Many carriers swallow pellets and 

one Ghanaian died in July when a pellet burst. Others have attempted to conceal 

narcotics in herbal tea, pictures, hair gel, or suitcases. Perhaps most 

disturbing, Westbridge officials found, before passengers boarded the plane, 

1.8 kg of cocaine taped under passenger seats on a KLM flight. Seizures seem 

to occur daily when the Westbridge team is present. In total, since November 

2006, the operation has netted 350 kg of cocaine, nearly 2,200 kg of cannabis, 

and 1.3 kg of heroin with a total street value of over USD 120,000.

¶11. (C) Many Ghanaians and nearly all Western Diplomats agree that the narcotics 

flow will increase without greater efforts to stem it. Several western Embassies 

have assigned officials to assist the GOG: the French have a full time Police 

Liaison, the Germans are sending one soon, and the Spanish Ambassador said his 

mission is also paying close attention to the matter, adding that Spain plans to 

open Embassies in Guinea and Guinea-Bissau to monitor narcotics and immigration.

COMMENT
------- 

¶12. (C) The narcotics menace, if left unchecked, will definitely damage Ghana's 

international credibility and its economic and political gains. We know the 

problem is critical when the Secretary to the President says that there is no 

one he can trust in law enforcement to share sensitive narcotics
ACCRA 00002140 003 OF 003
intelligence with. BRIDGEWATER

Wikileaks cable 07ACCRA2392: DAN BOTWE CRITICIZES KUFUOR'S INFLUENCE OVER

Reference ID	Created	Released	Classification	Origin
07ACCRA2392	2007-11-09 15:03	2011-08-30 01:44	CONFIDENTIAL//NOFORN	Embassy Accra

VZCZCXYZ0003
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHAR #2392/01 3131503
ZNY CCCCC ZZH (CCY AD2A4813 MSI5231-695)
R 091503Z NOV 07
FM AMEMBASSY ACCRA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5703
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE

C O N F I D E N T I A L ACCRA 002392 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
C O R R E C T E D COPY PARA FOUR 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/09/2017 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM GH
SUBJECT: NPP CANDIDATE CRITICIZES KUFUOR'S INFLUENCE OVER 
CANDIDATE SELECTION PROCESS 
 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Pamela E. Bridgewater for reasons 
1.4 (b) and  (d). 
 
¶1. (C) SUMMARY: In an October 31 meeting with POL Chief, New Patriotic 

Party (NPP) presidential candidate Dan Botwe urged foreign donors to 

provide more support to political parties, complaining that Ghana's strong 

presidential system left other democratic institutions, including political 

parties, parliament, and regional assemblies, dangerously weak.  He 

criticized the NPP's selection process, including efforts by President Kufuor 

to influence the NPP's choice, and said some delegates have been bought off 

to support favored individuals.  He also warned that if the NPP selects an 
Ashanti - the ethnic group of Kufuor and rumored Kufuor favourite Alan Kyerematen 

- for the second straight time, the party will face a serious backlash from 

non-Ashanti Ghanaians when it comes time to vote. END SUMMARY. 
 
NPP Internal Dynamics 
--------------------- 
 
¶2. (C) POL Chief met October 31 with NPP presidential candidate Dan 

Botwe.  Botwe served as Minister of Information under Kufuor until 2006, 

when he was removed from his position in a cabinet shuffle, and served 

earlier for two years as NPP General Secretary.  He complained that the 

candidate selection process for the NPP has been extremely expensive and 

that the use of money in this process has created the perception among the 

public that the NPP is corrupt.  Botwe said there has been widespread 

bribery of potential delegates and that this "epitomizes" the level of 

corruption among the party's political leadership.  Botwe said he worried 

that this is causing serious disaffection among voters and is damaging 

the party. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Botwe also noted that the campaign has been very time consuming 

and that many of the current candidates who were ministers began campaigning 

for the nomination in 2005, and as a result neglected their government duties. 

(NOTE: In early 2007, Kufuor forced all ministers who were planning to run 

for president to resign their posts. END NOTE.)  Botwe also said that some 

former ministers had sponsored the elections of many constituency, regional 

and national office holders, who now have a say in the NPP candidate selection. 
 
¶4. (C) Botwe was highly critical of President Kufuor's involvement in the NPP 

candidate selection process, commenting that if the NPP is to win the 2008 

presidential race, Kufuor should refrain from attempting to influence the 
process.  He claimed Kufuor is financing the campaign of former Trade Minister 

Alan Kyermaten through corruptly obtained funds, and that this effort is 

undermining the NPP's internal democratic process.  He said friction between the 
party and the government is increasing ahead of the December 22 party conference 

and will continue if Kufuor continues to openly support Kyermaten. 
 
¶5. (C) According to Botwe, there is a strong sentiment among NPP activists that 

the party should select a non-Ashanti. Electing another Ashanti to succeed Kufuor, 

said Botwe, "will play into the hands of our opponents" and cause trouble for 
the NPP in the general election.  Botwe added that the dominance of the NPP by 

Ashantis has been a major concern for non-Ashanti party members, and that the 

party would be best served by selecting a non-Ashanti with strong party credentials

(implying that he has those qualities).  Botwe himself is from the Guan ethnic 

group in the Eastern Region. 
 
NPP-NDC Tensions 
---------------- 
 
¶6. (SBU) Commenting on the highly negative relationship between the NPP and 

the main opposition party, the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Botwe said 

relations will remain polarized as long as former President Jerry Rawlings remains 

influential in the NDC.  He opined that Rawlings' role will diminish if the NDC 

loses the election, paving the way for a more constructive relationship between 

the NDC and NPP. However, he commented that the upcoming election would be 
difficult for the NPP, and likely very close. 
 
Botwe's strategy 
---------------- 
 
¶7. (SBU) In his own campaign for the nomination, Botwe is focusing his attention 

on NPP delegates who will determine the party's nominee.  He contrasted that with 

other candidates who are spending money on public relations and posters, targeted 

toward members of the public who will have no say in the NPP's decision.  Botwe 

noted that he has strong support among party activists due to his credentials as 

a long-time NPP insider and former two-term party General Secretary, going back to 

his student days. 
 
SIPDIS 
 
¶8.  (SBU) Botwe said the NPP needs to rekindle its basic values as a party, 

including setting clear priorities that will translate into good government that 

serves "ordinary Ghanaians."  He noted that Ghana has had strong macroeconomic 
performance under the NPP and has gained significant respect among its regional 

and international partners, and that the next government must build on that legacy. 
 
Governing Philosphy 
------------------- 
 
¶9. (SBU) Botwe said he was concerned that the strong executive presidency has 

weakened the role of political parties and parliament.  He prefers a parliamentary 

system of government with strong parties, and called for increased foreign donor 

support for Ghana's political parties.  This will better check the executive, and 

help combat patronage and corruption, as well as foster decentralization. 

Botwe described Ghana's legislature as very weak and "sycophantic."  Botwe added 

that he favors greater decentralization of government power, and direct election of 

District Chief Executives, which, he opined, would increase the effectiveness of 

District Assemblies, foster greater grassroots activism, and combat patronage and 

corruption. 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶10. (C) Botwe's comments illustrate the growing perception in Ghana of significant 

internal tensions within the NPP.  His remarks on the possibility that the party 

will again select an Ashanti are consistent with what we have heard from other 
political observers, and suggest that internal NPP divisions could persist into the 

2008 election year should the party select Kyermaten as its flagbearer at the 

December party congress. Should these divisions continue, and remain in the 
public eye, it will certainly strengthen the hand of Ghana's opposition. 

END COMMENT. 
BRIDGEWATER

Wikileaks cable 08ACCRA1544: GHANA ELECTIONS: NDC SPREADS MORE RUMOURS

Reference ID	Created	Released	Classification	Origin
08ACCRA1544	2008-12-09 18:39	2011-08-30 01:44	CONFIDENTIAL	Embassy Accra

VZCZCXRO2113
PP RUEHPA
DE RUEHAR #1544 3441839
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 091839Z DEC 08
FM AMEMBASSY ACCRA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7360
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RHMFISS/CDR USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE PRIORITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L ACCRA 001544 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR AF/W 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/09/2018 
TAGS: GH KDEM PGOV PHUM PINS PREL
SUBJECT: GHANA ELECTIONS: NDC SPREADS MORE RUMORS 
 
Classified By: POL CHIEF GARY PERGL FOR REASONS 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
¶1. (C)  Embassy was approached by two advisors to National Democratic 

Congress (NDC) candidate John Atta-Mills, Edward Nunoo  and Sylvanos 

Tamakloe, who told Poloffs that Electoral Commission (EC) Director 

Kwadwo Afari-Gyan was being pressured by the ruling National Patriotic 

Party (NPP) to announce false results that would be supplied by the NPP. 

The EC director told Ambassador that the allegations were "utter 

nonsense." 
 
¶2.  (C)  Nunoo, a lawyer who does work for the NDC, and Tamakloe, 

a security and intelligence advisor to Atta-Mills, said that the 

reason the results were being announced so slowly was because the 

EC director's life was being threatened, and that he was looking 

for safe haven from one of the diplomatic missions.  They said that 

their information was coming from two of the NDC's polling officials 

representing the party in the EC's "strongroom" where election 

results are being tabulated.  They identified them as Victor Smith, 

a former Rawlings aide, and Larry Adjetey, another NDC high official. 

They also said that the NPP was providing false provisional election 

results to radio and TV stations to give the impression that Akufo

-Addo had more votes than the actual case. 
 
¶3. (C)  Ambassador managed to put a quick end to these allegations 

by placing a call to Afari-Gyan, who called the charges "utter 

nonsense" and said that he felt no threat to his life.  He added 

that he still moves around Accra freely without escorts or 

bodyguards.  He thanked the Ambassador for passing along the 

information.  Polchief later spoke with NDC's Director of 

Communications, who distanced herself from the allegations, saying 

that she knew both Nunoo and Tamakloe, but they were not speaking on 

behalf of Atta-Mills. These would not be the people he would send to 

you, she said.  She confirmed that Victor Smith was a party 

representative in the EC's strongroom, but inferred that he 
sometimes spoke without conferring with the candidate and 

his closest advisors. 
 
¶4. (C)  COMMENT:  This is one more instance of the NDC playing dirty 

politics. It has already issued a premature press release claiming 

victory, which resulted in celebrations in Tamale which police were 

required to disperse. It held jubilation ceremonies at party headquarters 

in Accra that had to be contained by police, and later claimed that the 

celebrations were being held only for some of their parliamentary winners. 

And it has been accusing the NPP of malfeasance in at least three 

parliamentary elections without providing concrete evidence. Its behavior 

is not helping its cause, and seems ill considered in the face of the 

good showing it has been making in the elections. We suspect these two 

men were free-lancing.  So far, these efforts have not grown beyond the 

level of irritation, but we will monitor the situation carefully. 
 
TEITELBAUM

Wikileaks able 08ACCRA1562: GHANAIAN MEDIA SHAPE PEACEFUL ELECTION

Reference ID	Created	Released	Classification	Origin
08ACCRA1562	2008-12-12 11:29	2011-08-30 01:44	UNCLASSIFIED	Embassy Accra

R 121129Z DEC 08
FM AMEMBASSY ACCRA
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 7378

UNCLAS ACCRA 001562 
 
 
STATE FOR AF/PD, AF/W, AF/FO 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: AF GH KPAO
 
SUBJECT: GHANAIAN MEDIA SHAPE PEACEFUL ELECTION 
 
SUMMARY: Contrary to general concern that some 
news outlets, especially radio, might stir 
violent reactions before, during and after 
Ghana's presidential elections, the local media 
covered Election Day and immediate results with 
professionalism and even-handedness, encouraging 
a peaceful public response.  Embassy Accra played 
a role.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶1. Radio a Cause for Joy:  During the months 
leading up to Ghana's presidential elections many 
elements of Ghanaian society, not least of all 
the media itself, were critical of the 
inflammatory tone of political news coverage. 
The largest complaint was reserved for radio 
station call-in programs, which allowed random 
and "serial" callers to make inappropriate 
statements and incited angry responses. (Reftel 
Accra 1510).  Throughout Election Day, however, 
media sources carried out their role 
professionally. 
 
¶2. Most notably, Accra station Joy FM (full 
national coverage) took the lead for all media in 
presenting balanced, factual, and appropriate 
news.  Embassy Accra found Joy's online 
tabulation of results to be reliable, and posted 
more swiftly than results from the Electoral 
Commission (EC).  On air, Joy and other media 
adamantly clarified, at every turn, the fact that 
any results being announced were "provisional" or 
"projected", and reminded callers, including 
party officials, to attach these words to their 
statements. 
 
¶3. GJA Takes a Stand:  Following Election Day the 
two major parties called press conference after 
press conference, bandying about their own 
numbers and assertions of victory.  The Ghana 
Journalists Association (GJA) put a stop to this 
by announcing a ban on further press conferences, 
insisting that their elections headquarters would 
no longer be available for news conferences by 
any political party, thus quelling public 
accusations. 
 
¶4. The National Media Commission (NMC) was given 
prominent placement in print and on radio for 
their call to the media against speculating about 
the results.  The NMC took pains to remind the 
public, especially journalists, that the EC was 
the only credible source from which results 
should be taken. 
 
¶5. State-owned media, represented in print by the 
Daily Graphic and the Ghanaian Times, and on-air 
by the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation, did an 
outstanding job of ensuring that each party 
received equal daily coverage.  When measured 
against the number of votes received by the 
smaller parties (between 1.4% and .08% for six of 
the eight parties) this self-discipline in 
providing coverage to the smaller parties is 
remarkable.  Some concern exists about the number 
of paid advertisements and program-length 
infomercials the ruling party was able to air on 
state television prior to the elections; however, 
the news coverage was equitable. 
 
¶6. Embassy role: Embassy outreach provided some 
assistance to the media for fulfilling their 
mandate of responsible journalism.  These include 
the five workshops by U.S. freelance journalist 
Herb Frazier, whose August visit trained 
journalists in elections reporting in four 
regions of Ghana; the October visit by U.S. 
political system speakers Roslyn O'Connell and 
David Lublin, whose lectures tied the U.S. 
Elections process with the Ghanaian Elections 
process; several Ghanaian media participants in 
the Foreign Press Center elections tours to study 
coverage of the U.S. elections; and a grant to 
the NMC to produce Guidelines for Fair and 
Equitable Coverage of Political Parties by the 
State-Owned Media. 
 
¶8. Two weeks before the elections, AMB convened 
eight senior news editors from print, radio, 
television and electronic media for a lunch and 
general conversation.  The most significant 
discussion to arise involved the media's plans 
for announcing election results.  The 
participants came at the discussion from 
divergent views and, after much friendly 
disagreement, arrived at the consensus that 
regardless of how each news outlet chose to 
announce results, the words "provisional" or 
"projected" needed to be attached, and that the 
EC was the sole authority to provide certified 
results.  It seemed at the time that the media 
heavies had not previously discussed or openly 
considered this facet of elections journalism; by 
the time E-Day came around, however, it was clear 
that Ghana's media had considered every aspect of 
promoting a peaceful election. 
 
DGTEITELBAUM

Wikileaks cable 08ACCRA1473: Ben Ephson and the $25,000 bribe

cable 08ACCRA1473, GHANA ELECTIONS: POLLSTER SEES A SQUEAKER

Reference ID	Created	Released	Classification	Origin
08ACCRA1473	2008-11-20 10:11	2011-08-30 01:44	CONFIDENTIAL	Embassy Accra

VZCZCXRO5523
PP RUEHPA
DE RUEHAR #1473/01 3251011
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 201011Z NOV 08
FM AMEMBASSY ACCRA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7266
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RHMFISS/CDR USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE PRIORITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ACCRA 001473 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR AF/W 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/19/2018 
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PINS PREL KDEM GH
SUBJECT: GHANA ELECTIONS: POLLSTER SEES A SQUEAKER 
 
Classified By: Polchief Gary Pergl for reasons 1.4 B and D 
 
¶1. (C) SUMMARY.  Independent pollster and newspaper editor 
Ben Ephson predicted that the presidential elections will 
require a runoff, but that the opposition National Democratic 
Congress (NDC) will pick up at least 14 Parliamentary seats 
to close the gap with the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), 
which currently has a 34 seat lead in the 230-seat 
legislature.  He forecast that the 2008 elections will be the 
fairest ever in Ghana because of the resources the NDC has 
poured into vetting and training a loyal cadre of polling 
agents.  Ephson said that many journalists are on the NPP 
payroll, and that in a last ditch effort to gain votes, the 
NDC might try to out NPP candidate Nana Akufo-Addo as a drug 
user in the closing weeks of the campaign.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2. (U) Ben Ephson met with the political section on November 
14 to file his monthly report on the $40,000 DHRF grant he 
received to do election polling.  Ephson is the editor of the 
independent newspaper Daily Dispatch, and the leader of 
Ghanalert, an NGO that focuses on election monitoring and 
public opinion polling.  Ephson said that his team had 
completed its polls in the 3 northern regions and the Ashanti 
region, and would have results from the rest of Ghana by 
December 1.  He walked Poloffs through each of Ghana's 10 
regions, exploring which constituencies would likely change 
parties and why.  Based on his data, he expects the NDC to 
gain a minimum of 14 Parliamentary seats, while the NPP could 
lose enough seats to drop below a majority. (NOTE: The NPP 
currently holds 128 seats, the NDC has 94, and 8 seats are 
held by minority parties and independents. END NOTE)  Ephson 
is also convinced that the Convention Peoples Party (CPP) 
candidate will play a spoiler role in the presidential race. 
He believes that the CPP candidate is drawing the majority of 
his support from the NPP, although this will not translate 
into more parliamentary seats for the CPP.  Ephson predicts 
that no party will gain a majority in presidential polling, 
throwing the election into a runoff likely to take place 
December 28. 
 
¶3.  (U) Ephson's 2004 polls came closer than anyone's to 
predicting the outcome of that election, but his methoology 
is far from scientific.  For his polls on the presidential 
election, he sends pollsters through targeted markets and 
neighborhoods with a set of 12 questions, starting with 
delivery of services such as water and electricity, and 
ending with "who do you think will win the election?" His 
field workers randomly survey 200 voters in each 
parliamentary constituency.  He claims that his margin of 
error in presidential polling is plus/minus four per cent, 
but his logic is hard to buy. 
 
¶4.  (U) For Ephson's parliamentary picks, however, his 
predictions appear to be based on sounder research.  He 
pointed out constituencies in which the NDC had paid for an 
independent to run and siphon votes from a vulnerable NPP 
candidate, and other areas where NPP intra-party rivalries 
could lead to NDC wins. Ephson sees the NPP potentially 
losing six out of its eight current seats in the Northern 
Region and five out of its sixteen seats in Greater Accra. He 
predicts that the NDC will also pick up seats from two 
smaller parties, the Peoples' National Convention (PNC) in 
the Upper West Region and the CPP in Central Region. Ephson 
felt confident enough to name NPP constituencies in Accra 
that he felt were vulnerable.  He also noted that in Ashanti 
Region, the heartland of the NPP, a number of independents 
were contesting seats. These candidates were historically 
NPP, but lost out through the party's sometimes bitter 
parliamentary primary process to less appealing candidates. 
Ephson predicts that the NPP will see, at best, a much 
reduced majority. 
 
¶5.  (U) In 2004, Ephson said, the NPP gained thousands of 
fraudulent votes because of NDC's lack of vigilance at the 
polling stations.  This year, he said, the NDC was training 
teachers, students, professionals and other literate party 
faithful to act as polling agents at all 22,000 polling 
stations.  He predicted that these trained party agents would 
make this the fairest election in Ghana's history. 
 
¶6.  (C) Ephson also said that the NPP was imploding in the 
final weeks of the campaign.  President Kufuor has not been 
campaigning actively on behalf of NPP aspirant Nana 
Akufo-Addo, who was not his choice of candidates. 
Akufo-Addo, according to Ephson, was irritated that Kufuor 
chose last week to formally unveil the newly-built and 
sumptuous Presidential palace, a project that many Ghanaians 
associate with political excess.  When asked if there might 
be a "November surprise," Ephson said that he expected the 
NDC, which has already been hinting at NPP connections to 
 
ACCRA 00001473  002 OF 002 
 
 
Ghana's burgeoning narcotics trade, might decide to openly 
accuse Akufo-Addo of being a drug user. 
 
¶7.  (C) The NPP, according to Ephson, had offered him 30,000 
Ghanaian Cedis ($25,000) to publicly tilt his polls towards 
their party, an offer he refused.  Other journalists, he 
said, are on a virtual retainer from the NPP.  He also told 
Poloffs that the NPP had approached the cash-strapped PNC 
party and offered to pay for their polling agents, a proposal 
they sensibly declined.  Finally, he said that the NPP was 
paying students in Cape Coast 100 Cedis to transfer their 
votes in an attempt to elect an NPP member as Parliamentarian 
from that key constituency. 
 
¶8. (U) COMMENT.  For a supposedly independent pollster, 
Ephson is hardly impartial in his personal politics, 
admitting openly to being an Nkrumahist and member of the 
CPP.  His vote for CPP candidate Paa Kwesi Nduom might be a 
wasted vote, he said, but he hopes that it sends a message to 
both major parties.  Ephson's predictions on Parliamentary 
elections sound plausible, but as noted in previous cables, 
any authoritative prognostication on the outcome of the 
presidential elections strikes us as suspect at best. 
TEITELBAUM

 

Wikileaks cable 09ACCRA29: Hannah Tetteh says NDC HOPES TO BRING MINOR PARTIES INTO THE TENT

Reference ID	Created	Released	Classification	Origin
09ACCRA29	2009-01-16 11:23	2011-08-30 01:44	CONFIDENTIAL	Embassy Accra

VZCZCXRO8773
PP RUEHPA
DE RUEHAR #0029/01 0161123
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 161123Z JAN 09
FM AMEMBASSY ACCRA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7476
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RHMFISS/CDR USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE PRIORITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ACCRA 000029 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR AF/W 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/14/2019 
TAGS: GH KDEM PGOV PHUM PINS PREL
SUBJECT: NDC HOPES TO BRING MINOR PARTIES INTO THE TENT 
 
REF: ACCRA 19 
 
Classified By: POLCHIEF GPERGL FOR REASONS 1.4 b&d 
 
¶1. (U) SUMMARY. Poloff met on January 13 with Hannah Tetteh, 
the new ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) party's 
head of communications for the transition.  She discussed the 
state of the handover, parliamentary issues, party 
appointments and changes, Kufuor's final actions as 
President, NDC's quest for better gender equality in 
government, and the likely role of former president Jerry 
Rawlings.  Most significantly, Tetteh described how the NDC 
plans to merge the two most important minor parties--the 
Convention People's Party (CPP) and the People's National 
Convention (PNC) into the NDC fold, basically turning 
Ghanaian politics into a two-party system.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2. (C) Hannah Tetteh, one of the most moderate and 
influential voices in the NDC, began the conversation by 
lamenting the poor quality of the information and material 
the transition team has been receiving from the outgoing New 
Patriotic Party (NPP) administration.  From the president's 
office down through most of the ministries, she said, the 
turnover papers have been minimal, in some cases, just a few 
bulleted items to sum up a ministry's entire portfolio. 
Whether caused by laziness, indiscipline, or a purposeful 
attempt to cover up transgressions, she said, it is slowing 
down the transition process and forcing the new government to 
dig deeper into records to determine the status of affairs in 
most government agencies.  As examples, she pointed to 
government vehicles and residences that had not been 
accounted for, as well as a last-minute wave of military 
promotions and foreign service inductions that had raised 
eyebrows even among NPP supporters.  Although President Mills 
had promised that the party would not pursue partisan 
retribution, Tetteh made it clear that obvious episodes of 
malfeasance would have to be referred to the courts. 
 
¶3. (C)  Tetteh confirmed that the NDC had paid dearly to 
obtain the votes of the two PNC members in Parliament 
(reftel), saying that in addition to accommodating the party 
with district, commission, and ambassadorial positions, both 
MPs would be receiving Deputy Minister jobs in return for 
their agreement to sit with the NDC to constitute a 
legislative majority.  Enforcing party discipline on critical 
votes would still be a key objective, since the margin was so 
thin.  She also noted that the party was courting Alhaji 
Saani Iddi, the independent MP from Wulensi in the Northern 
Region, but that so far his demands (for both position and 
money) were unreasonable, and he would "have to come back 
down to earth."  On the subject of neophyte CPP politician 
Samia Nkrumah (Kwame Nkrumah's daughter, who has joined 
neither majority or minority in Parliament, and has pledged 
to vote on issues based on their merit), Tetteh simply shook 
her head and said "that girl is going to have a lot to learn." 
 
¶4. (C) The choice of Joyce Bamford Addo as speaker of 
Parliament was pure genius on many levels, Tetteh said. 
First of all, she is a woman, and the NDC has a long way to 
go on gender balance in high office.  Secondly, and most 
importantly, it was clear that the NPP could find no grounds 
to object to her.  Lastly, she was seen as someone who would 
take orders and be malleable to party discipline.  She said 
that for important votes, the party would remove Addo and put 
the First Deputy Speaker Edward Adjaho into her place as a 
stronger enforcer.  She also confirmed that Majority Leader 
Alban Bagbin would not be in that position for long because 
he wanted to become part of the executive branch and run a 
ministry.  Tetteh further stated that at the next party 
congress, Kwabena Adjei, NDC's national chairman, would 
likely be replaced, because "he lacks maturity -- and I don't 
mean because of his age." 
 
¶5. (C) On the subject of Jerry Rawlings, Tetteh said that the 
party had arrived at a working compromise that she was 
certain would be satisfactory.  Betty Mould Idrissu, wife of 
the party's campaign chairman and a protege of both Rawlings 
and his wife Nana Konadu, would be getting a ministerial 
position, and so would at least one other of Rawlings' 
closest associates.  Others close to the former president 
would also be given positions of some importance, as yet 
undetermined.  As for Rawlings himself, said Tetteh, the most 
important thing for him is that the party pay him the respect 
he feels he is due.  She once again verified that Mills would 
seek his counsel where appropriate, but Rawlings would not be 
an "eminence grise" pulling any strings in the new 
administration. 
 
¶6. (C) Finally, Tetteh said that the NDC is very keen to 
consolidate its power by incorporating both the CPP and PNC 
 
ACCRA 00000029  002 OF 002 
 
 
parties into the NDC, and convincing both their executive 
councils and their followers that they have no future as 
minor parties (a supposition that could be reasonably deduced 
by their steady decline in support in recent elections).  The 
plan is to assert that the NDC is the rightful inheritor of 
the principles of both parties, and that its manifesto more 
closely mirrors the aspirations of each party and the tenets 
of Nkrumahism.  The party also plans to play on the CPP 
origins of both Mills and Vice President John Mahama.  While 
he was still in secondary school, Mills was selected to study 
at the Kwame Nkrumah Ideological Institute, and became a CPP 
member.  Mahama's father was a minister under Nkrumah, and 
the family has long-standing CPP ties. 
 
¶7. (C) Another gambit to move the CPP closer to the NDC will 
be to appoint several female CPP members throughout the 
country as District Chief Executives. (NOTE: The president 
appoints all 138 DCEs, as well as all 10 Regional Ministers. 
END NOTE)  While the party may not reach its goal of 40 per 
cent females in government-appointed positions, Tetteh was 
hopeful that they would manage at least 35 per cent.  A large 
number of women serve in district assemblies, and many of 
them are CPP members.  The NDC plans to target them, both to 
win them over to the NDC, and because the party perceives 
that women DCEs display a greater sense of loyalty to the 
central government than do their male counterparts. 
 
¶8. (C)  COMMENT.  Managing to co-opt the two significant 
minor parties with any real following would be a huge coup 
for the NDC, but it is unlikely to be a ploy they can carry 
out anytime soon.  Party allegiances still run deep, 
especially for the PNC in the northern regions of Ghana, and 
for the CPP in the Western Region where Nkrumah was born. 
Constitutionally, any formal party change for MPs would 
require them to sit for a by-election.  Tetteh also 
acknowledged that a major obstacle to winning over those 
party loyalists is named Jerry Rawlings.  She said that the 
party would have to prove that Rawlings was truly out of 
power, something she was sure they could manage.  There is no 
denying, however, that given the waning fortunes of the CPP 
and PNC and the soul-searching that has resulted from their 
abysmal showing in the 2008 elections, the ruling NDC party 
is making its move at the right time.  With patience and the 
prudent distribution of largesse, courting these blocs could 
deliver a significant long-term dividend. 
TEITELBAUM

Wikileaks cable 09ACCRA31: Hannah Tetteh reveals NDC's secret agenda

Viewing cable 09ACCRA31, NDC HOPES TO BRING MINOR PARTIES INTO THE TENT

Reference ID	Created	Released	Classification	Origin
09ACCRA31	2009-01-16 11:25	2011-08-30 01:44	CONFIDENTIAL	Embassy Accra

VZCZCXRO8776
PP RUEHPA
DE RUEHAR #0031/01 0161125
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 161125Z JAN 09
FM AMEMBASSY ACCRA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7485
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RHMFISS/CDR USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE PRIORITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ACCRA 000031 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR AF/W 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/14/2019 
TAGS: GH KDEM PGOV PHUM PINS PREL
SUBJECT: NDC HOPES TO BRING MINOR PARTIES INTO THE TENT 
 
REF: ACCRA 19 
 
Classified By: POLCHIEF GPERGL FOR REASONS 1.4 b&d 
 
¶1. (U) SUMMARY. Poloff met on January 13 with Hannah Tetteh, 
the new ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) party's 
head of communications for the transition.  She discussed the 
state of the handover, parliamentary issues, party 
appointments and changes, Kufuor's final actions as 
President, NDC's quest for better gender equality in 
government, and the likely role of former president Jerry 
Rawlings.  Most significantly, Tetteh described how the NDC 
plans to merge the two most important minor parties--the 
Convention People's Party (CPP) and the People's National 
Convention (PNC) into the NDC fold, basically turning 
Ghanaian politics into a two-party system.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2. (C) Hannah Tetteh, one of the most moderate and 
influential voices in the NDC, began the conversation by 
lamenting the poor quality of the information and material 
the transition team has been receiving from the outgoing New 
Patriotic Party (NPP) administration.  From the president's 
office down through most of the ministries, she said, the 
turnover papers have been minimal, in some cases, just a few 
bulleted items to sum up a ministry's entire portfolio. 
Whether caused by laziness, indiscipline, or a purposeful 
attempt to cover up transgressions, she said, it is slowing 
down the transition process and forcing the new government to 
dig deeper into records to determine the status of affairs in 
most government agencies.  As examples, she pointed to 
government vehicles and residences that had not been 
accounted for, as well as a last-minute wave of military 
promotions and foreign service inductions that had raised 
eyebrows even among NPP supporters.  Although President Mills 
had promised that the party would not pursue partisan 
retribution, Tetteh made it clear that obvious episodes of 
malfeasance would have to be referred to the courts. 
 
¶3. (C)  Tetteh confirmed that the NDC had paid dearly to 
obtain the votes of the two PNC members in Parliament 
(reftel), saying that in addition to accommodating the party 
with district, commission, and ambassadorial positions, both 
MPs would be receiving Deputy Minister jobs in return for 
their agreement to sit with the NDC to constitute a 
legislative majority.  Enforcing party discipline on critical 
votes would still be a key objective, since the margin was so 
thin.  She also noted that the party was courting Alhaji 
Saani Iddi, the independent MP from Wulensi in the Northern 
Region, but that so far his demands (for both position and 
money) were unreasonable, and he would "have to come back 
down to earth."  On the subject of neophyte CPP politician 
Samia Nkrumah (Kwame Nkrumah's daughter, who has joined 
neither majority or minority in Parliament, and has pledged 
to vote on issues based on their merit), Tetteh simply shook 
her head and said "that girl is going to have a lot to learn." 
 
¶4. (C) The choice of Joyce Bamford Addo as speaker of 
Parliament was pure genius on many levels, Tetteh said. 
First of all, she is a woman, and the NDC has a long way to 
go on gender balance in high office.  Secondly, and most 
importantly, it was clear that the NPP could find no grounds 
to object to her.  Lastly, she was seen as someone who would 
take orders and be malleable to party discipline.  She said 
that for important votes, the party would remove Addo and put 
the First Deputy Speaker Edward Adjaho into her place as a 
stronger enforcer.  She also confirmed that Majority Leader 
Alban Bagbin would not be in that position for long because 
he wanted to become part of the executive branch and run a 
ministry.  Tetteh further stated that at the next party 
congress, Kwabena Adjei, NDC's national chairman, would 
likely be replaced, because "he lacks maturity -- and I don't 
mean because of his age." 
 
¶5. (C) On the subject of Jerry Rawlings, Tetteh said that the 
party had arrived at a working compromise that she was 
certain would be satisfactory.  Betty Mould Idrissu, wife of 
the party's campaign chairman and a protege of both Rawlings 
and his wife Nana Konadu, would be getting a ministerial 
position, and so would at least one other of Rawlings' 
closest associates.  Others close to the former president 
would also be given positions of some importance, as yet 
undetermined.  As for Rawlings himself, said Tetteh, the most 
important thing for him is that the party pay him the respect 
he feels he is due.  She once again verified that Mills would 
seek his counsel where appropriate, but Rawlings would not be 
an "eminence grise" pulling any strings in the new 
administration. 
 
¶6. (C) Finally, Tetteh said that the NDC is very keen to 
consolidate its power by incorporating both the CPP and PNC 
 
ACCRA 00000031  002 OF 002 
 
 
parties into the NDC, and convincing both their executive 
councils and their followers that they have no future as 
minor parties (a supposition that could be reasonably deduced 
by their steady decline in support in recent elections).  The 
plan is to assert that the NDC is the rightful inheritor of 
the principles of both parties, and that its manifesto more 
closely mirrors the aspirations of each party and the tenets 
of Nkrumahism.  The party also plans to play on the CPP 
origins of both Mills and Vice President John Mahama.  While 
he was still in secondary school, Mills was selected to study 
at the Kwame Nkrumah Ideological Institute, and became a CPP 
member.  Mahama's father was a minister under Nkrumah, and 
the family has long-standing CPP ties. 
 
¶7. (C) Another gambit to move the CPP closer to the NDC will 
be to appoint several female CPP members throughout the 
country as District Chief Executives. (NOTE: The president 
appoints all 138 DCEs, as well as al 10 Regional Ministers. 
END NOTE)  While the party may not reach its goal of 40 per 
cent females in government-appointed positions, Tetteh was 
hopeful that they would manage at least 35 per cent.  A large 
number of women serve in district assemblies, and many of 
them are CPP members.  The NDC plans to target them, both to 
win them over to the NDC, and because the party perceives 
that women DCEs display a greater sense of loyalty to the 
central government than do their male counterparts. 
 
¶8. (C)  COMMENT.  Managing to co-opt the two significant 
minor parties with any real following would be a huge coup 
for the NDC, but it is unlikely to be a ploy they can carry 
out anytime soon.  Party allegiances still run deep, 
especially for the PNC in the northern regions of Ghana, and 
for the CPP in the Western Region where Nkrumah was born. 
Constitutionally, any formal party change for MPs would 
require them to sit for a by-election.  Tetteh also 
acknowledged that a major obstacle to winning over those 
party loyalists is named Jerry Rawlings.  She said that the 
party would have to prove that Rawlings was truly out of 
power, something she was sure they could manage.  There is no 
denying, however, that given the waning fortunes of the CPP 
and PNC and the soul-searching that has resulted from their 
abysmal showing in the 2008 elections, the ruling NDC party 
is making its move at the right time.  With patience and the 
prudent distribution of largesse, courting these blocs could 
deliver a significant long-term dividend. 
TEITELBAUM 

Wikileaks: US Embassy in Accra cables on Rawlings and Peprah

P 311148Z JUL 97

FM AMEMBASSY ACCRA
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1928
INFO AMEMBASSY ABIDJAN
AMEMBASSY OUAGADOUGOU
AMEMBASSY COTONOU
AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE
AMEMBASSY LONDON
AMEMBASSY LOME
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ACCRA 004941

E. O. 12958: DECL: 07/31/07
TAGS: PREL PINR PGOV GH
SUBJECT: A CLOSE LOOK AT GHANA'S PRESIDENT RAWLINGS

REF: ACCRA 01142

CLASSIFIED BY EDWARD BRYNN, COM, REASON 1. 5(B) AND (D)


¶1. (C) SUMMARY: THE NETHERLANDS' DEPARTING AMBASSADOR
TO GHANA, HEIN PRINCEN, SPENT A FULL WEEK-END IN CLOSE QUARTERS WITH J. J. RAWLINGS, AND CAME AWAY BOTH FASCINATED AND A BIT UNNERVED.

PRINCEN'S SPOUSE, A TRAINED SOCIAL WORKER, SAW INCONTROVERTIBLE EVIDENCE OF DRUG USE BY THE PRESIDENT.

RAWLINGS COMPLAINED THAT HIS ADVISORS KEEP HIM IN THE DARK. HIS WIFE WAS PRESENT, AND RAWLINGS WAS DEFERENTIAL TOWARDS HER, BUT IT WAS CLEAR THAT THEY ARE SEEN TOGETHER ONLY FOR FAMILY
REASONS OR REASONS OF STATE. PRINCEN FOUND RAWLINGS TIRED OF HIS PUBLIC PERSONA AND EASILY PERSUADED THAT PEOPLE WERE WORKING BEHIND HIS BACK.

RAWLINGS SEEMS CAUGHT BETWEEN A DESIRE TO BRING HIS CHIEF OF STATE TENURE TO A CLOSE ON ONE HAND, AND A LIVELY FEAR OF THE CONSEQUENCES OF SO DOING ON THE OTHER.

PRINCEN SAW RAWLINGS' NEWEST EMINENCE GRISE UP CLOSE, AND DID NOT LIKE HIS BALEFUL INFLUENCE IN THE AREA OF GHANAIAN ECONOMIC POLICY. END SUMMARY.

¶2. (U) THE SETTING: VERY OCCASIONALLY RAWLINGS INVITES
AN ACCREDITED DIPLOMAT TO JOIN HIS FAMILY FOR WEEK-END RELAXATION AND CONVERSATION ON THE MODEST BUT COMFORTABLE PRESIDENTIAL YACHT ANCHORED IN VOLTA LAKE ONE HUNDRED MILES NORTHEAST OF ACCRA.

(THE LAST HONOREE WAS AMERICAN AMBASSADOR KENNETH BROWN ON THE EVE OF HIS DEPARTURE IN MID-1995. ) ALSO PRESENT WERE RAWLINGS' SIX CHILDREN, PRESIDENTIAL ADVISOR ANTHONY AIDOO (MORE LATER), AN UNNAMED GERMAN ENGINEER/BOAT CAPTAIN, AND A COUPLE OF MILITARY STAFFERS.

GUESTS SO HONORED ARE ENJOINED NOT TO DISCUSS THE ADVENTURE INSIDE GHANA, AND PRINCEN ASSURED ME THAT I ALONE (IN GHANA) WAS PRIVY TO WHAT FOLLOWS.

¶3. (C) THE PRIVATE PERSONA: AMBASSADOR PRINCEN'S WIFE CONCLUDED EMPHATICALLY THAT RAWLINGS IS A DRUG-USER. PERIODS OF HIGH-LEVEL ENERGIZING WERE FOLLOWED BY RAWLINGS' DISAPPEARANCE FOR THIRTY MINUTES, AND UPON HIS RETURN HE WAS SUBDUED AND EVEN MELLOW.

HE PERSPIRED PROFUSELY AT SHORT NOTICE, AND CONSUMED LARGE QUANTITIES OF NON-ALCOHOLIC DRINKS. PRINCEN REINFORCED MY OWN IMPRESSION THAT RAWLINGS' ATTENTION SPAN HAS SHORTENED
OF LATE. BUT THE PRINCENS FOUND THE PRESIDENT OPEN, INDULGENT TOWARDS HIS CHILDREN, AND EXTREMELY DEFERENTIAL - EVEN OBSEQUIOUS - TOWARDS HIS SPOUSE.

THE TENOR OF THEIR CONVERSATION REINFORCED THE WIDESPREAD
IMPRESSION THAT THEY SEE EACH OTHER ONLY IN PUBLIC OR IN THE CONTEXT OF THIS RETREAT TO LAKE VOLTA.

(RAWLINGS SAID THIS WAS THE FIRST FAMILY GATHERING THIS YEAR. )
RAWLINGS WATCHED VIDEOS, LISTENED TO MUSIC, AND CHATTED UP HIS GUESTS SIMULTAMEOUSLY. PRINCEN NOTICED WHAT ALL OF US OBSERVE AS INTERLOCUTORS: RAWLINGS' INCREDIBLE INABILITY TO RECALL NAMES, EVEN THOSE OF ADVISERS CONSTANTLY AT HIS ELBOW.

¶4. (C) RAWLINGS' CIRCLE OF ADVISORS: SINCE PRESIDENTIAL AND PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS LAST DECEMBER WE HAVE PUSHED THE THEME THAT PRESIDENT RAWLINGS SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN STRIPPED OF A CIRCLE OF CONFIDANTS WHOSE COLLECTIVE WEIGHT, WHILE FAR FROM BRILLIANT, APPEARED TO MODERATE RAWLINGS' TENDENCY TO OVERACT AT FIRST EVIDENCE OF SOME UNPALATABLE DEVELOPMENT.

WE ARE NOW WELL INTO A NEW PHASE, WHERE IT APPEARS THAT THE PRESIDENT IS FAR FROM WELL INFORMED AS TO WHAT TRANSPIRES IN HIS NAME.
HE WAS MANIFESTLY OUT TO LUNCH ON THE PNG OF OUR PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICER IN MAY. WORLD BANK AND IMF VISITORS COMPLAIN THAT HE SEEMS PROFOUNDLY UNINFORMED ON ECONOMIC MATTERS, EVEN AS HIS MINISTER OF FINANCE IS SEEN BY FINANCIAL EXPERTS INSIDE AND OUTSIDE GHANA AS ALARMINGLY INCOMPETENT.

INTO THE VACUUM HAS MOVED ANTHONY AIDOO, WHOSE CONSPIRATORIAL DEMEANOR ENCOURAGES DARK SPECULATION ABOUT HIS MALIGN INFLUENCE ON RAWLINGS.

AIDOO IS KNOWN TO US PRINCIPALLY FOR HIS ENTRENCHED LEFTIST LEANINGS, HIS ANTI-IMPERIALIST RHETORIC WHILE A PROFESSOR AT CAPE COAST UNIVERSITY, AND HIS AFFECTION FOR THE LIKES OF QADAFI AND CASTRO.

AMBASSADOR PRINCEN'S OPPORTUNITY TO WATCH AIDOO AT CLOSE QUARTERS
WAS FAR FROM REASSURING. AIDOO SEEMED TO REINFORCE RAWLINGS' FEARS THAT SENIOR GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS WERE CONSPIRING TO HIDE THINGS FROM THE PRESIDENT. AIDOO'S OBSEQUIOUS BEHAVIOR TOWARDS MRS. RAWLINGS ALSO REINFORCED THE IMPRESSION HERE IN ACCRA THAT SHE IS IN SOME DEGREE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ALIENATION OF THE PRESIDENT'S TRADITIONAL FRIENDS, WITH AIDOO NOW FILLING THE VOID.

¶5. (C) IMPACT ON ECONOMIC POLICY: ACCORDING TO PRINCEN THE ONLY SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIVE DISCUSSION FOCUSED ON GHANA'S CURRENT ECONOMIC PROBLEMS. PRINCEN WAS INTRIGUED TO SEE RAWLINGS NODDING IN ASSENT AT AIDOO'S PRONOUNCEMENT THAT HIGH INFLATION WAS CAUSED BY
IRRESPONSIBLE ELEMENTS IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR, AND THAT THE PRIVATE SECTOR SHOULD FIND A SOLUTION. AIDOO ALSO FED RAWLINGS THE NOTION THAT THE NORTH CAROLINA SUMMIT ON GHANA'S COMPETITIVENESS IN THE GLOBAL MARKETPLACE WAS A CAMOUFLAGED ATTACK ON RAWLINGS' NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC CONGRESS.

PRINCEN REMONSTRATED, BUT HE THOUGHT WITH LIMITED EFFECT. PRINCEN DID GAIN RAWLINGS' ATTENTION BY REGISTERING IMPRESSIONS CIRCULATING IN ACCRA THAT THE WORLD BANK AND IMF ARE INCREASINGLY DISSATISFIED WITH
THE PERFORMANCE OF BOTH THE INCUMBENT MINISTER OF FINANCE PEPPRAH AND THE LARGER ECONOMIC POLICIES OF THE POST-DECEMBER GOVERNMENT.

RAWLINGS RESPONDED BY LASHING
OUT AT MEMBERS OF HIS OWN GOVERNMENT - SOME WERE CITED BY NAME - WHO DELIBERATELY CONCEAL PROBLEMS FROM HIS ATTENTION. RAWLINGS BUILT UP A HEAD OF STEAM ON THE GHANA ELECTRICAL COMMISSION'S ANNOUNCEMENT TWO WEEKS AGO THAT RATES WOULD RISE UP TO 300, RETROACTIVE TO MAY 1;
THIS WAS DESIGNED TO DESTABILIZE HIS GOVERNMENT, HE THOUGHT. THE LARGER IMPRESSION, HOWEVER, WAS THAT PRESIDENT RAWLINGS WAS NOT WELL INFORMED OF RECENT UNSETTLING ECONOMIC TRENDS.

¶6. (C) COMMENT: THE IMPRESSIONS REGISTERED ABOVE ARE THOSE OF A VETERAN CAREER DIPLOMAT (PREVIOUSLY AMBASSADOR IN PERU AND NOW OFF TO SRI LAMKA) WHOSE CONFIDENTIAL OBSERVATIONS ON OTHER OCCASIONS HAVE HELD
UP WELL. PRINCEN'S OBSERVATIONS ECHO IMPRESSIONS I RECORDED EARLIER THIS YEAR (REFTEL). IF THEY HOLD WATER, WE MUST SEE IN THEM A GIANT STEP BACKWARDS IF CLOSE CONFIDANTS LIKE ANTHONY AIDOO ARE PREJUDICING THE
PRESIDENT AGAINST THE TRADE AND INVESTMENT INITIATIVE LAUNCHED AT CHAPEL HILL IN EARLY JUNE. AND, IN A LARGER ARENA, IF AS A RESULT OF FATIGUE OR ISOLATION OR
UNHEALTHY PERSONAL PRACTICES PRESIDENT RAWLINGS FAILS TO EXERCISE LEADERSHIP SKILLS DURING HIS SECOND CONSTITUTIONAL TERM, THERE MIGHT BE DELETERIOUS REPERCUSSIONS FOR ALL THAT TOUCHES ON THE ECONOMY:

THE GROWTH OF DEMOCRATIC INSTITUTIONS; THE CONTINUATION OF AN ERA OF DOMESTIC PEACE; THE EMERGENCE OF A PRIVATE SECTOR ABLE TO INVITE SIGNIFICANT OUTSIDE INVESTMENT AND PLAY A POSITIVE ROLE IN THE GLOBAL ECONOMY.

AMBASSADOR PRINCEN NOTED THAT RAWLINGS PLANS TO MARK MY OWN DEPARTURE WITH A SIMILAR WEEK-END ADVENTURE. BUT AS IT NOW STANDS THAT MAY NOT COME SOON, LEAVING MUCH TIME FOR ANTHONY AIDOO TO BREW A POISONOUS POTION IN THE CASTLE.

BRYNN