News:
August 26, 2010
The New Patriotic Party Member of Parliament for Okere, Dan Kweku Botwe, is happy that by his recent posture, ex-President Jerry John Rawlings is trying to be a statesman.
He said from Mr Rawlings’ recent utterances, it is obvious he has toned down and making very ‘deep comments’, conjecturing that he may have assumed this new posture because he is trying to shepherd and position his wife to contest the presidency.
Former President Rawlings, notorious for making controversial statements, on Friday called on the United States to tread cautiously when judging the success of democratic regimes in Africa and asked the US not to ignore freedom and justice as a measuring rod in determining the success of African democracies.
But speaking on Metro TV’s Good Morning Ghana programme Thursday, Mr Botwe said the ex-president’s call was in order, insisting that institutions must be allowed to work and that respect must be shown to people’s human rights.
He noted that “we did not need Obama to come and tell us things we know we should have been doing”, adding that the recent attacks on the judiciary gives credence to the fact that institutions in this part of the world are not allowed to function properly.
Mr Botwe said President Mills, upon his arrival from the US where he spent his leave, should have reprimanded his party chairman Dr Kwabena Adjei for making statements threatening the judiciary. Dan Botwe said such a move would have shown that the President is committed to the freedom and independence of the Judiciary as guaranteed by the Constitution.
Richard Quashigah, the Propaganda Secretary of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) and a co-panellist on the programme, however discounted Mr Botwe’s claims concerning ex-President Rawlings’ recent posture, saying it is unfair to attribute his [Rawlings’] posture to his quest to position his wife for the presidency and that Mr Rawlings has always made ‘deep comments’ and in his own style.
On the comments of the NDC Chairman, Mr Quashigah stated that the NPP MP was totally uninformed about the issue because Dr Kwabena Adjei spoke on behalf of the people of this country.
He cautioned the opposition NPP to desist from mischievously twisting things said by officials of the NDC.
By: Dorcas Efe Mensah/myjoyonline.com/Ghana