Vetting of presidential aspirants: What the NPP must ask

Several candidates are contesting to lead Ghana's biggest opposition party in 2016

The NPP, it appears, has put together a decent team for its presidential vetting.  There’s no question regarding their (vetting committee) competencies and ability to do a good job so here are a few quick reminders of what they should be asking on behalf of the people of Ghana:

How would you define the nation’s current problems:  This isn’t just about checking off boxes. Problems should be clearly identified but the committee should be interested in how they are defined. What are the underlying causes and how can the problem be succinctly framed. This is important if they’re to offer any effective solutions.

What solutions will you prescribe?: This sounds extremely basic but in light of all the politicking the simplest things can get lost in rubble. The party really needs to draw out from their opponents what their precise solutions to the country’s problems would be and then evaluate them on the strength of these answers.

What kind of campaign would you run: The committee needs to find out the kind of campaign candidates hope to run. It’s one thing wanting to be president and it’s another thing knowing exactly what strategy or having the competency to execute a good strategy to defeat an incumbent. The party needs to know this ahead of time and spare the nation from a regrettable contest. 

 Skeletons in the closet: No matter how qualified a any candidate is, there are always certain things that can doom a presidential candidate. Committee members need to dig deep and uproot these things now rather than later in order to avoid a doomed candidature.