Special Aide to former President Jerry Rawlings has denied claims that the ex-President has asked supporters of the National Democratic Congress at Akwatia in the Eastern Region to reject the party’s deputy General Secretary, Baba Jamal as parliamentary candidate. According to Victor Smith, Rawlings only asked the constituency, which goes to the polls on Friday to elect a parliamentary candidate for the 2008 elections, to pick a candidate who can win the constituency seat for the party. Baba Jamal faces one Obeng Darko for the party’s slot, but Jamal has previously contested and lost the seat twice. Going into the polls, he feels rather disadvantaged at allegations that the ex-President and founder of the NDC, who was in the constituency on Wednesday to partake in a Cadre’s forum in the constituency was whipping up support for his opponent. But Victor Smith told Joy News that Rawlings only asked the constituents, without mentioning names, to elect a candidate who would win the seat from the ruling New Patriotic Party. “..he took the opportunity to encourage the supporters of the NDC to elect or select a candidate who is acceptable to the community or the constituents, not just NDC people but somebody who stands a good chance of securing the seat for the party in the next general election.” “He did not mention a name. He did not mention the name of either Baba Jamal or the other gentleman…He did not mention names, he just tried to appeal to them that they should not be influenced, that is the delegates and the cadres, they should not be influenced in any particular direction but to go for somebody who can secure the seat for the NDC.” Kwaku Ofori Abrokwah, Akwatia Constituency Secretary of the NDC, corroborated Victor Smith’s assertion that the former President did not endorse any particular candidate in the race. He told Joy News that all that Rawlings did was to ask the constituents to select the best candidate for the party. “What he said was that we have lost twice in the constituency, and therefore if we selecting a candidate for the 2008 elections, we should look forward to elect the best candidate that can lead us to win the seat back. That is all that he said.” (Listen to Kwaku Ofori Abrokwah, Akwatia Constituency Secretary of the NDC)