Friday, June 8, 2012

Rawlings out to place his wife on ballot come next presidential poll


Rawlings out to place his wife on ballot come next presidential poll

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Nana Konadu Rawlings with her husband. Photo | GOOGLE IMAGES
Nana Konadu Rawlings with her husband. Photo | GOOGLE IMAGES 
By FRANCIS KOKUTSE, NATION Correspondent ACCRA, Thursday
Posted  Thursday, June 7  2012 at  19:46
Ghana’s former President Jerry John Rawlings has given the first hint yet that his wife, former First Lady, Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings might enter the Presidential race in December.
But it is not clear whether she would do so as an independent candidate or form a new party.
Speculation has been rife but, she has consistently refused to confirm or deny her candidature.
But, last Sunday, President Rawlings told a rally at Aflao, on the country’s eastern border with Togo that Nana, “must be given the chance to rescue the country from the current leadership crisis.”
He pleaded with the people to consider giving her the needed support to rule.
Ms Nana Agyeman-Rawlings was rejected by delegates of the ruling National Democratic Congress when she stood against President John Evans Mills at the party’s primary to elect a leader.
She had only three per cent of the votes and it was expected that she would give up her ambition. 
The position taken by Mr Rawlings has finally  pitted him against President Mills in the contest to win the hearts and souls of the entire members of the NDC some of whom have openly criticised Mr Rawlings for working against the party he founded and the man he chose as his successors.
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Consequently, in the December elections, President Mills is not only facing other candidates on the ballot paper, but Mr Rawlings whose name would be absent.
If Mr Mills wins the election, it would be the final nail that would keep Mr Rawlings silent.
Already, Mr Rawlings  has given his verdict that, President Mills will not win the election, because he has strayed away from the  ideals and principles of the NDC. Whatever this means, has never been clear.
Mr Rawlings claims "the current crop of NDC members, especially those in leadership are leading the party in a different direction, far from the principles and values on which the party was founded.”
He said, some of these members, whom he referred to as traitors have plotted to destroy the party and strengthen the Convention People’s Party (CPP), which is the party that was founded by the country’s first President, Kwame Nkrumah.
Since taking over, President Mills has taken steps to immortalise the name of Kwame Nkrumah.
The country spent a whole year celebrating the century anniversary of Nkrumah’s birth two years ago and in addition, there is now a Public Holiday to mark his birthday on September 24.
In addition, the oil rig from where oil is produced at the Cape Three Points has also been named after Nkrumah.
What is interesting about the re-birth of Nkrumah in the country is that,  the CPP is also fighting the election and no one is sure if the NDC is planning a merger.
It is against this background that, Mr Rawlings said, “the NDC has run itself into a ditch and cannot beat their opponents NPP in the upcoming elections if the ideals of the June 4 uprisings have been abandoned.”
June 4 was the date that, Mr Rawlings, then a junior officer burst onto the country’s political scene through a coup and preached “probity and accountability.”
Reactions to Mr Rawlings has been swift with. Deputy information minister, Samuel Okudzeto-Ablakwa said, “everybody is tired of Rawlings and his unnecessary distractions and criticisms of the government,” adding that, “I get the impression that everybody is fed up with what is going on.”
Mr Okudzeto-Ablakwa said “there was attrition in the Rawlings camp and everybody had deserted that camp because they were tired of the attacks on President John  Mills, the vilification and all the unnecessary distraction.’’
Communications director of the New Patriotic Party  (NPP), Nana Akomea said there was an attempt by a section of town’s chiefs to stop the rally at Aflao where Mr Rawlings spoke  and many people had blamed the government as being behind the machinations.

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