Vote For Mills, Term For Rawlings — NPP

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has questioned whether a vote for Professor John Evans Atta Mills and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) would not be a vote for another Rawlings term.

Reacting to a press conference organised by former President Jerry John Rawlings on Tuesday, the Chairman for the 2008 NPP Communication Committee, Dr Arthur Kobina Kennedy, in a statement, described the “new” image of the NDC as false, stressing that it was an attempt to deceive Ghanaians.

The statement observed that over the last week, the real NDC had resurfaced in full force, issuing threats all over the place, especially with regard to the conviction of Mr Tsatsu Tsikata by a court of competent jurisdiction.

It observed that in preparation for the December polls, the NDC carved a supposed new image for itself but “ throughout this exercise of mass deception, we in the NPP pointed out that there was nothing new about the NDC”.

From what we have seen of the NDC in the last week, it is obvious that it is the party of Rawlings and the past, not of the future, it said.

The statement said it was unfortunate that the NDC Flag bearer, Prof. John Atta Mills, had been pressured by his mentor, former President Rawlings, to turn down a state award he had earlier pledged to accept from President Kufuor.

It said Professor Mills's stance on the issue had confirmed that he was remotely controlled by the former president.

The NPP, he further stated expected Prof. Mills to stand, by democracy, the “new” NDC and for his principles by rejecting the “Edict of Ridge” and accepting the honour he had agreed to accept.

The statement said Ghanaians must question whether or not “ a vote for Prof. Mills meant a third term for President Rawlings.

It said the comparison by former President Rawlings of the current Ghana to what was happening in Zimbabwe was an affront to the dignity of every Ghanaian and their hard work in the last 16 years which had brought them this far.

Furthermore, the statement said, the former President's complaint that some people in the NDC had rejected his advice “not to turn the other cheek” should worry every Ghanaian.

That piece of advice, according to the statement, was a clear call for lawlessness that must be condemned by every Ghanaian, including Prof. Mills.

“We have come too far and done so much for anybody to take us back. We are moving forward, not backwards,” the statement said.

The party described as false the former President's charge that there had been ethnic-based terminations in the security forces.

“Indeed, we urge the appropriate authorities to let the public know the truth in these allegations. The NPP believes that regardless of our ethnic origins, we are all equal citizens of one great country Ghana,” the statement said.

The statement said according to Mr Rawlings, Ghanaians must rely on the social conscience of people to obey the law.

“No wonder the police force was decimated and demoralised under Mr Rawlings. While social factors play a role in crime,” it said.

The statement said appropriate policing was the anchor for maintaining law and order around the world and throughout history.

From Azerbaijan to Zanzibar, from developing to developed countries, the police are seen as indispensable to the maintenance of law and order.

Therefore the next NPP government under Nana Akufo-Addo was committed to doubling the size of the police force, increasing their equipment and training, reviewing their pay and making them a first-class police force, focused on the maintenance of order, the apprehension of criminals and the protection of the innocent.

The NPP believes in the flowering of ideas and democracy, not of violence, it stated.