Politics

Rawlings would be sacked if he endorses his wife

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Flt Lt Jerry John Rawlings risks losing the NDC party he founded, if he goes ahead to endorse his wife’s candidature for this year’s election. For now, his open support at the NDP’s congress last Saturday has not been construed as an endorsement though NDC General Secretary Johnson Aseidu Nketia has hinted of a National Executive Committee meeting to decide his fate. Clarifying his point to lead a crusade to have the former president sacked from the NDC, Inusah Fuseini on pm:EXPRESS Monday said Mr. Rawlings would have to be sacked if indeed he endorses his wife. His stance he said is steeped in the NDC’s constitution which is explicit that “under no circumstances should an executive member of the party endorse another presidential candidate”. Mr. Fuseini believes merely appearing at the congress of the NDP to support his wife does not constitute a breach of this provision. What would get Rawlings kicked out from NDC would be him saying thus – “As founder of the NDC, I endorse the candidature of Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings… This is a candidate that you must vote in the 2012 elections. If in such a statement he mentions any other candidate apart from John Mahama, he would have to be sacked. And by that declaration, he would be removing himself automatically from the membership of the NDC”, he stated. Mr. Rawlings as the NDC’s worst critic is seen to be kicking the NDC’s campaign in the foot – limiting the party’s chance of annexing the presidency this year. Some have called for the former president’s head for his involvement with the National Democratic Party (NDP) and pronouncement to the effect that NDC [parliamentary aspirants] would lose the December polls. An obviously fuming Kofi Adams, aide to the former president also joining pm:EXPRESS said only the NDC constitution can expel the founder – not NEC - especially as the party was founded on his vision adding that Mr. Rawlings has made it clear he is not leaving the NDC. Mr. Rawlings he said has not breached any party code by his pronouncements and asked, “Are we not having problems in KEEA? Today we are talking about Bibiani constituency, Okaikoi North constituency where there are now two candidates. We are having all manner of problems everywhere and you see, as a result of the failure of leadership to do what is right, this is the situation we have on the ground. NDC candidates are going to lose to the independents or sometimes even lose to the NDP. And they sit down there, instead of identifying this problem and dealing with, they say [Rawlings] has breached party regulations and guidelines, which guidelines? Which constitution says that when you have done something that is real on the ground, nobody should talk about it; the founder should not talk about it? Which part of the constitution says so that when you are seeing visible signs of people contesting as independent candidates against party candidates because you did not use due process, because the process of selecting candidates was fraught with all kinds of confusion and vote buying and the rest, you should not talk about it?” Asked whether Jerry Rawlings was still relevant politically, Kofi Adams said the rank and file of the NDC vote because of the former president. But it is not likely the teething problems that have rocked the party will be over soon. This is because, per NDC’s constitution, a council of elders must be the body to resolve issues of the proportion that has rocked the party. Ironically, President Rawlings, the same person the party thinks is causing these problems is the same one who chairs the council of elders of the NDC.

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DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.