Former First Lady Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings has expressed dissatisfaction at the manner in which doors of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) was shut to grassroots members of the party while the congress was ongoing. The ruling party’s congress to elect a flagbearer for the 2012 elections started peacefully on Friday with tight security and reports indicate that only delegates were allowed into the congress grounds. In an interview with Joy FM’s Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, Mrs Rawlings, who was also the main challenger in the race, minced no words when she registered her displeasure at the way things had been organised. She said the NDC has had many congresses in the past where all of its members - whether delegates or not - had been allowed into the grounds for the event to witness things for themselves. “…NDC, we are a family so when you lock out the family members and then you allow just those who are going to vote to be in here, and they are being intimidated by DCEs and MCEs I think that’s not right. “I think our members should have been part of this joy,” Mrs Rawlings noted. The aspiring flagbearer and president accused the Mills-government of “inching the grassroots [of the party] out, recalling that party supporters were not allowed to join Tamale Congress last year and the same episode had been repeated this time around. “We’ve always had elections for delegates, we’ve always had elections and congresses that are for the delegates but we always allow people in,” she claimed and added that “…slowly they are inching the grassroots out; which is a shame.” Mrs Rawlings believes she made no mistake in opting to contest President Mills at all. She expressed hope that the President and his camp would join her campaign trail when she emerges victor to contest the opposition party’s flag bearer for power 2012. “… I hope they see what is at stake; I hope they understand that the issue is about the party and not about any of them. “…This contest is not about me, this contest is about them, it’s about the party, it’s about the future of the party, it’s about the generations unborn…” Nana Konadu was of strong conviction that “if the NDC does not stand strong this country is finished.” Story by Dorcas Efe Mensah/myjoyonline.com/Ghana