The former deputy chairman of the defunct Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC), Osahene Boakye Djan, has rubbished claims that Dr Addo-Kufuor, Minister of Defence, can not run for president because he is the brother of President Kufuor. Speaking to The Independent, Maj. Djan said people must overlook tribe, religion, ethnicity, family ties and other irrational criteria when looking for someone who has the wherewithal to develop the country. According to him it is not Dr. Addo Kufuor's fault that he is the brother of the President, and moreover it is highly trivial to use that as the basis in denying him the right to lead the country if he is qualified to do so. He mentioned the scenario in America where the electorates or the voters see nothing wrong with former First Lady, Hilary Clinton vying with others to lead the country even though her husband, Bill Clinton was President for eight good years. Major Djan said if a person has a criminal record in the family it does not mean the entire members of the family are criminal. He pointed out that the use of religion, race, ethnicity and family ties to deny competent persons from running for an office is in conflict with modernity and the earlier such mindsets were discarded the better it would be for all. According to Major Djan, it is highly hypocritical for Ghanaians, who have adopted the western style of democracy not to emulate the current trend in America - Senior George Bush and George Bush Jnr and Hilary Clinton and Bill Clinton. He was particularly displeased with the now established convention in the country whereby the vice president must always necessarily come from the North and pointed out that, such development could pose problems for the country in future if it is not halted. He explained that, because of such irrational conventions, which all the major political parties seem to have normalized and endorsed, it will be very difficult for a northern candidate to be President for a long time just because the vice presidential slot has seemingly been reserved for them, and they will therefore be unable to progress to the presidency. Credit: The Independent