[ 2011-04-16 ]

Yes! Rawlings is backing me.
The President of the 31st December Women's
Movement has finally said in public what has of
late been whispered in private. Nana Konadu
Agyeman Rawlings would face President John Evans
Atta Mills at the National Democratic Congress
(NDC) primary to elect the party's flagbearer for
the 2012 presidential election, and has the full
support of the Founder of the party, Jerry John
Rawlings.

The former First Lady tendered in her resignation
as First Vice Chairperson of the NDC on Wednesday,
to enable her start campaigning to unseat
President Mills as leader of the party.

Speaking on Adom FM, a Tema-based radio station
yesterday, Mrs. Rawlings said though she had
resigned from her position in the party, it did
not mean she had declared her intention to contest
the election.

According to her, she would wait for the party to
open nominations before officially announcing her
intention to contest the sitting President.

When asked why she should contest President Mills,
when she, together with her husband, endorsed him
(Mills) in what has became known as the 'Swedru
Declaration' in 1999, Nana Konadu said, it was Mr.
Rawlings who did the anointing, and that she was
not party to that deal.

The former First Lady claimed the NDC was being
led in the wrong direction, and that the time had
come for people like her to rescue the party.

She contended that endorsements of President Mills
being announced by some executives in the regions
were not the true reflection on the ground, and
that some of the signatures of those allegedly
making the endorsements were illegally obtained.

The desire by 'Naana', as Mr. Rawlings prefers to
call her, to contest the NDC flagbearership,
became apparent during last year's June 4th
celebration in Tamale.

A group, calling itself Friends of Nana Konadu
Agyeman Rawlings (FONKAR), went to Tamale with
placards calling on her to contest the NDC
flagbearership. Mr. Rawlings also used that
platform to launch vitriolic attacks on the
President, describing him as a 'Konongo Kaya.'

Meanwhile, the Communications Director of FONKAR,
Mr. Dela Coffie, has told Peace FM that it was
only Nana Konadu who could propagate the ideals of
the NDC. 'We feel that the person, who has known
the party from day one, is Mrs. Rawlings.'

He said that Mrs. Rawlings had played a key role
in the party since 1992, and kept the party
through its formation stages, nursed it like a
baby, and knows the party inside out. 'We want
somebody who can hold the party, and not follow
the failed ideological promises of Prof. Mills.'

According to Dela Coffie, President Mills was not
propagating the ideals of probity, accountability
and social justice, which were the values that the
NDC stood for, and accused the President of rather
propagating the ideology of the Convention
People's Party (CPP).

According to Mr. Coffie, when Prof. Mills assumed
office, he abandoned the party, and he (Mills)
cannot now claim to love the NDC, now that the
party was seeking for a leader who would offer
leadership, based on the principles and ideologies
of former President Rawlings

He stated that members of FONKAR include ministers
of state, party delegates and high profile
personalities in the party. Mr. Dela Coffie said
the declaration of support for the President from
some regional executives was a stage-managed event
that national executives were undertaking.

He further alleged that some people had been given
money to come out and declare their support for
the President.

'These things are not in the NDC. It is under
President Mills that you can see them. It is money
politics,' he charged.

Mr. Coffie stated that nobody can hijack the party
based on money politics, because if they try, they
would be embarrassed. It happened in Koforidua in
year 2006, when Dr. Obed Asamoah was embarrassed,
when he allegedly tried to do that.

He maintained that the NDC delegates had always
voted for dedication and hard work, but not
opportunists.

Earlier in the week, Dr. Omane Boamah, Deputy
Minister of Science and Technology, stated on
Metro TV that Nana Konadu sent emissaries to the
Eastern Region to campaign for her.

The deputy Minister claimed that at the end of
each meeting, the delegates were given huge sums
of money as 'transport fares,' and wondered if the
money was not meant to induce the delegates.

Source - Ghanaian Chronicle

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