Rawlings warns NDC

Former President Jerry John Rawlings has expressed worry over the election of Voltarians and Northerners to various national executive positions in the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), saying the development is a threat to the party’s chances in subsequent elections, especially that of 2012.

Daily Guide reports its sources at a meeting between the ex-President and Volta Regional executives of the party held in Ho and Hohoe on Sunday and Monday respectively ahead of the national delegates congress in Tamale on Saturday, said the ex-President lamented that the election of several members of the two ethnic groups to executive positions will buttress the belief that the NDC is an ‘Ayigbe (Ewe) Party.’

Mr. Rawlings expressed concern to the executives that if the trend continues, with the National Executive Committee (NEC) filled with executives from the Volta and Northern Regions, it is likely that the party will lose votes in the Akan Regions, which he said are more populated and cannot be ruled out as far as winning elections is concerned.

Mr. Rawlings, according to the paper’s source, said the situation is worsened by the perception that the party’s performance in government is below the expectation of most Ghanaians.He said if the government’s performance was high he would not have been so worried because at least that would have been a basis for seeking the re-election of the NDC.

He has therefore warned that the trend be changed at the National Delegates Congress at Tamale on Saturday if they really want people to believe that the party is not for particular tribes. The ex-President also revealed that their original slot for the Volta Region when National Executive positions were being distributed was that of National Chairman, stressing that the Presidency is changing everything, a situation he said is a looming danger for the party.He said instead of going according to the original plan, the NDC at its recent National Youth and Women Congress at Sunyani and Winneba respectively, elected Ludwig Akpene Hlordze, James Kofi Fonu and Anita De Souza, all Voltarians, as Youth Organizer, First Deputy Youth Organizer and Women’s Organiser respectively.

Source: Daily Guide/Ghana