Rawlings Accuses Judges•Of Rigging Polls For NPP
FORMER President Jerry John Rawlings has accused the judiciary of rigging the 2004 elections for the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP).
According to him, after the NPP took over power in 2001 and started exhibiting their arrogance and corrupt tendencies, Ghanaians wanted a change and they did so in 2004 but President Kufuor and his people managed to change the outcome.
“We knew that we had won; we knew they had stolen it, but we wanted to put the constitution to a test so we sent the matter to court and for two and half years Kufuor's judges, and I mean Kufuor's judges, because Kufour does not befriend judges of integrity; he can only befriend judges who can defend his corruption.
“For two and half years they could not judge the matter and were changing one judge for the other as they did not have the courage to proceed with the matter, because if they had done it the whole of Ghana would have seen the fake ballot papers that had been stuck into the ballot box and Kufuor wouldn't have been the President now, but Professor Mills,” he told an NDC rally in Navrongo.
According him, when the judiciary loses it credibility and integrity the people suffer, saying that is exactly what is happening in the country today.
“I pray that come December 7, you and all well-meaning Ghanaians will vote for the NDC and protect the ballot boxes until everything is counted for a true outcome to be recorded. It is your duty to protect your choice, because the NPP people wouldn't like to leave and would like to repeat what they did in 2004. The time for your change has come, but if you go to sleep it would elude you and you would be made third and fourth class citizens again.”
In an unusual manner, Mr. Rawlings asked all Ghanaians, irrespective of their party affiliations, to make this year's elections an incident and violent free one, adding that their existence and full participation in electoral activities was crucial to the development of the nation's infant democracy and the change they were yearning for.
He specifically called on National Democratic Congress (NDC) faithful and all Ghanaians who want a change to stay alive to vote for the party to liberate the nation from the hands of the NPP government which he described as a bunch of selfish and immoral politicians.
“My brothers and sisters, President Kufuor and his team do not know what it means to be the President of Ghana. When the honourable people of Ghana do you the honour and give you the privilege to become their President, your duty and moral responsibility is to serve the people of Ghana. But now the man (President Kufuor) has no morals, he has no ethical values, that is why I keep telling you all the time that there is something more important than being a President of Ghana. When you do not have principles and you are made a president or chief, you would not be able to conduct yourself properly.
He has sentenced this country, not only those in Nsawam, but also Ghanaians who are outside Nsawam Prisons, to 8 years' imprisonment.”
From Ebo Bruce-Quansah, Navrongo