Politics

Rawlings’ last NDC congress?

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Enigmatic Jerry John Rawlings remained his quintessential self Saturday, leaving delegates and observers at the ongoing congress of the party he founded with a big enough hint he might not stay with the party anymore. Even though the dust is yet to settle after the former president cautioned on June 4 that “the inevitable will happen” in the event that the National Democratic Congress presidential election does not favour his wife, Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings who is contesting incumbent President John Mills, he planted another unobtrusive comment on the minds of political watchers implying he could be on his way out. “Ladies and gentlemen, I hope I will have this opportunity with you in future, but if I don’t there is something very crucial I would like to leave with you here, extremely important. Something we have been living with, we’ve been seeing, feeling, we’ve been victims of it but somehow has been escaping us." The ruling NDC's national delegates congress is underway in the Brong Ahafo regional capital, Sunyani where either of President Mills or Nana Konadu will be elected to lead the party in the 2012 general elections. Mr Rawlings who cautioned the delegates that political timing was very crucial in their activities, noted that the government had failed to use institutions such as the security and the judiciary to deliver justice to Ghanaians. He also took a swipe at the judiciary for not carrying out their job of ensuring that freedom and justice is upheld. “There are two types of judges in this country,” he said, explaining, “the principled ones and those who served the justice of their political masters.” He further stated: “These institutions (referring to the security services and the judiciary) almost lost their sense of righteousness and are still grappling with the process of trying to win back their integrity. “In spite of this threat to the integrity of our institutions, and the stage [of] investigating assassinations, attempted assassinations, ethnic and political persecution, electoral frauds and various form of massive corruption of the immediate past government will have also help these institutions to seize their necessary moral high ground.” Mr Rawlings cautioned that if care is not taken, Ghana’s “extremely fragile” freedom being enjoyed would be lost. He was also not happy with the government for not making enough effort to investigate criminal activities and former government officials and other civil servants who were in bed with the previous government and are still in powerful position and influencing decision. “No one has said people should be arbitrarily arrested and thrown into jail. As guilty as we know they are, competent investigation will provide the evidence for a successful prosecution.” Before voting started, former President Rawlings asked the delegates to demonstrate a high level of courage and make their choice “based on the fact and principle that are clear for all to see”. He also warned them against being intimated by fear of retribution to make a choice influenced by “money and power”, saying that could cause the party in the 2012 elections. Meanwhile the Vice President John Mahama has allayed fears that the party's founder, Mr Rawlings, might quit the party. He told Joy News' Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah that it would be "very difficult" to conceive that Mr Rawlings would join any party other than the NDC. Story by Isaac Essel/Myjoyonine.com/Ghana

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