And after their last delegates' conference in Koforidua, marred by violence, with women almost stripped naked and whipped with crude weapons just because they held diverse views to what their founder had in mind, many more members are fleeing the party.

With the party fast disintegrating in the aftermath of resignations following the thuggery and barbaric reception that took place during the Koforidua conference, the NDC now wants to go down with the nation.

And now ROPAB

The opportunity seemed to have arrived when the NPP decided to pass the Representation of People's Amendment Bill (ROPAB), which was mooted by the NDC's founder when in office as President Jerry John Rawlings. What made Rawlings direct the EC to consider extending the ballot box to Ghanaians abroad? Why is the NDC now kicking against what was mooted by Rawlings, ten years ago?

We hear the NDC talking about the possibility of rigging and having disputed results. In a way to establish the fact Rawlings was even more popular among Ghanaians abroad than at home, he was led into considering our brothers and sisters in the Diaspora to vote.

When later a survey conducted showed that the popularity rating of Rawlings and the NDC abroad was less than twenty-five percent and the possibility of rigging over there was zero, the idea was quietly shelved. Indeed the NDC survey showed that almost all Ghanaians outside supported the idea of voting during general elections.

Now that the NPP Government is restoring this dream, the NDC is viewing it as a nightmare and would want to use all possible means to stop the Bill.

What they are not considering is that the NDC could have an edge in the Diaspora. You see majority of those outside with clean permits to stay and work got there with the help of the PNDC and NDC governments. Majority of the illegal immigrants seem to belong to the other side and given the chance would vote against the NDC. However with their illegal status they would never venture to register to vote.

In a bid to rope in sympathizers, the NDC is using this opportunity to create fear in the minds of Ghanaians that the ROPA Bill is a nuclear bomb ready to explode and blast Ghana out of existence.

Ghana will burn to ashes?

They claim that there would be electoral disputes and electoral disputes lead to chaos, mayhem and war as Mr. Elvis Afiyie Ankrah threatened that Ghana will burn to ashes (Ref. The Heritage Friday February 10, 2006). This irresponsible talk would lead us nowhere. Where were they when Rawlings first put up that suggestion?

Electoral disputes do not lead to anarchy. It is intolerance. But for the tolerance of the then opposition parties, the much disputed results of the 1992 General Elections could have led this country down the road to war. The collation of events that took place during that election, which majority of Ghanaians saw as not free and not fair is in a book called The Stolen Verdict. It was out in 1993.

Thirteen years on the NDC is yet to respond to statements indicting the party in that book. The party knows that the book was factual. Tolerance prevented mayhem in the Ayawaso West Wuogon constituency in 1996 when a wrong candidate, NDC's Rebecca Adotey, was declared winner over NPP's George Isaac Amo.

Tolerance prevented mayhem in the Mion constituency when the NPP candidate had his stronghold denied of voting materials and ended losing narrowly to the NDC's candidate. The courts have declared the elections there null and void. Meanwhile the NDC is holding fast to the seat with an appeal pending in court.

Tolerance and the beauty of it came to play during the US General Elections in 2000. Maturity and tolerance are what can prevent mayhem. These words are not in the NDC vocabulary.

Incitement to lawlessness and violence

In a 17-point leaflet distributed at the nation's tertiary campuses, the NDC under the pseudonym of Friends of a United, Stable and Democratic Ghana sought to indoctrinate people into acts of lawlessness and violence. I have the opportunity to respond to these points.

* That organized labor, the student movement, opposition parties and countless citizens home and abroad have opposed the ROPA Bill is a blatant lie, not backed with statistics. And that the NPP is desperate to remain in power hence the need to rig the 2008 elections through ROPA is a fallacy. The fact is that the EC would determine the date and it is not likely to begin even in 2012 let alone 2008.

* The NDC claims that if people can travel 12 hours within Ghana to vote why can't those abroad take 6 hours to fly down to vote. Firstly they want to say that from every point on the globe it is 6 hours to Ghana. Then they want to establish that the travelers would vote at the airport, since the journey to vote to them is 6 hours.

Now, how many people travel to their hometowns to vote? Many people on transfers or who have relocated transfer their votes. In view of this then it is only logical to transfer votes to those abroad, hence ROPA. On the other hand, let there be a decree that people should register to vote only in their hometowns and let us see the chaos, with attended transportation problems.

* The fear that the state would foot the bills of extending the vote to those outside is unfounded. Many Ghanaians outside are willing to foot the bill. Also identifying who a Ghanaian is could be part of the process in preparation for the implementation of this Bill. A Ghanaian abroad must have proof of citizenship that would go beyond merely holding a Ghanaian passport. Ghanaians are able to acquire the necessary papers to stay and work abroad but that does not make them eligible to vote.

Ghanaians abroad may not face whatever the NDC is calling the heat. They however contribute a lot financially to nation building. And that there is the likely event that this nation would be plunged to chaos with the passage of the ROPA Bill lies in the minds of Elvis Ankrah and the NDC. For only those who address issues with violence can anticipate chaos. Also since the Bill is not passed yet, the NPP cannot experiment it during their delegates' conferences. It is simple as that.

* We take pride when other African nations come over to understudy our electoral systems and even invite our EC to assist in conducting elections in their countries. If we have attained such heights and status, why is the NDC talking about the numerous unresolved problems with our voting system? Even if there are, can't we have innovation? Poorer countries like Mali are allowing their citizens to vote, why can't we?

Of course every wise builder estimates the cost of building before starting to build. The fact is you must take the decision to build before you start considering the cost. And wonderfully enough in condemning the NHIS the NDC is now admitting that the Cash and Carry system they introduced was killing people.

* This cry of No Tax No Vote is another fallacy. How many of our peasant farmers and rural dwellers and even some of the urban dwellers who vote pay taxes? Ghanaians abroad collectively sent over $4 billion into the system last year. Have they not paid more than their due?

* The logic of a simpleton is made evident, when arguments like the fact that people come down for funerals, they must as well come down to vote. We have millions of Ghanaians outside. Let us put it at 5 million (according to the NDC, 2 million Ghanaian voters are in Togo alone). Can our ports contain these millions of Ghanaians within the week of voting?

* Another attack is that the NPP does want to remain in power by hook or by crook. What Ghanaians fear is a return to anarchy, with the return of the NDC. How can we trust our liberty to a party that whips its own members under the supervision of its leaders? Their only offense is that they have diverse views. What would happen to ordinary Ghanaians with diverse ideology? And the group of Ghanaians who are disillusioned at the moment are to be found in the NDC.

They cannot see and understand the good governance going on. They have declared that being in opposition is very uncomfortable. It is up to the NDC to define Electoral Fraud. They are yet to respond to the book The Stolen Verdict.

The DANGER ahead of us is for the NDC to take over. The religious leaders, chiefs and civil society are in silence because they are contemplating how to react to any of NDC acts of aggression.

I will like to advice all Ghanaians in general and students in particular to see the passage of this Bill as another act of good governance. In the effort of registering Ghanaians abroad we can have on record an estimate of the numbers of Ghanaians in the Diaspora. We can also get to know their jobs and levels of income.

We can then formulate direct taxation, which would help our Balance of Payments in foreign transactions. Nations, even the developed ones like the US tax their citizens abroad and this helps towards development projects.

If a limited number of Ghanaians outside are already voting anyway, why can all or at least the majority be also allowed to do so? This rope-a-dope scenario, (courtesy Mohammed Ali) being adopted by the NDC would not be of benefit to the nation and people of Ghana.