A leading member of the ruling National Democratic Congress, Alhaji Iddrisu Bature has dismissed assertions that President John Evans Atta Mills is a weak president and subservient to ex-president Rawlings. According to him, Mills has had to countenance the tantrums of the ex-president only because of a sense of gratitude he feels towards Rawlings. His comments come in the wake of recent public outbursts by the ex-president which sought to cast the sitting president in a bad light. Speaking on a late afternoon talk show programme, Ekosii Sεn on Asempa FM on Thursday, Alhaji Bature observed that while in office, the ex-president appointed then Prof Mills to various positions- Internal Revenue Service, the National Sports Council, Black Stars Management team and single-handedly anointed him as the vice-president in 1996. With all these, he (Mills) is “compelled to be grateful to Rawlings,” and that is why he is “unable to react to Rawlings'” comments, he said. “I can say however that Mills is not happy with many of the things Rawlings is doing to him,” he disclosed. Describing John Mills as a “stubborn intellectual”, a “strong man with a strong character,” Bature said President Mills is tougher than ex-president Rawlings. “If Rawlings barks and you give it to him, he recoils. Mills will not bark but will remain firm,” he said. Alhaji Bature said many Ghanaians have misconstrued the peaceful and God fearing nature of president as a weakness, a perception he said was unsustainable and should be thrown into the dustbin of history. He believes strongly President Mills will be able to fulfill all his electoral promises if given the space to work. Play the attached audio (Twi) for excerpts of the Bature's contribution. Story by Nathan Gadugah/Myjoyonline.com/Ghana