News:
April 18, 2011
The Member of Parliament for Shai-Osu Doku, David Tetteh Assuming has called on the Council of elders of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) to intervene immediately and persuade Mrs. Rawlings from challenging President Mills’ second term bid.
The NDC MP says the silence of the Council of elders in the midst of the acrimonious wrangling between the Rawlingses and the Presidency is worrying.
According to him, the party can no longer behave like ostriches and pretend all is well with the party.
Hon. Assuming told Citi News that he fears there will be dire consequences for the party if the former first lady goes through with her plans to contest President Mills at the Sunyani congress.
“We must not behave like ostriches, there is something happening and it is not for nothing that we have elders in every society…we have about seventeen members of the council of elders. Where are the members of the council because what is happening is worrying? The two must be brought together and decide that the sitting President should go.
“It is important to us that we sit and discuss, we can do that. During the previous regime the former went unopposed for two terms. Why were we able to achieve that, it is because of the unity that we maintained. So why can’t we maintain that same unity and say let bygone be bygone.
“For us to just allow the former first lady to contest and people think that we are safe, for me we are not safe. Either way that the voting will go, for us to say that we will mend after the election, I have my fears”.
Meanwhile, Kofi Adams spokesperson to the former President Rawlings, has told Citi News that the former first lady will definitely contest and will the elections.
“We agree that per the constitution of the delegates it gives advantage to the sitting President. If all Ministers and DCEs are members of the party and also delegates it gives you some platform as compared to somebody who is not in the position to appoint.
“Whoever is contesting somebody in an advantaged position is aware of all these. So really all these advantages are factored into one’s strategy”.
Source: citifmonline.com