Rawlings decries malpractice in NDC regional elections

Former President Jerry John Rawlings on Sunday decried electoral malpractices associated with the regional elections of executives of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) prior to its National Delegates' Congress on December 28th and 29th. "It is extremely important for party activists and those vying for executive positions to realise that any attempt to buy our way into executive positions will not only undermine our party, but damage the integrity and the very spiritual soul and of the Party and the Progressive Alliance," he said.

A statement issued in Accra on Monday said ex-President Rawlings made the comments at the Kotoka International Airport just before he enplaned for Burkina Faso at the invitation of President Blaise Compoare to speak on an HIV/AIDS conference in Ouagadougou.

He was particularly referring to the reported use of money to influence and buy delegates' vote at the Greater Accra Regional Conference of the NDC on Saturday.

At the elections, Mr Joshua Alabi, former Greater Accra Regional Minister was elected as the Chairman, Nii Oko Djangmah Vanderpuye, Secretary, Mr Nikoi Addison, Organiser, while the post of Propaganda Secretary went to the Reverend Fred Adjetey Larbi and the Hajia Cash Anatu Kasian had the post of Treasurer.

Ex-President Rawlings said: "our supporters sounded us a message in the December 2000 elections about some individuals who have lost popularity, but some of us are proving to be deaf and insensitive and are, therefore, repeating the same mistake of trying to take front-line positions.

"Let us listen to the people. They own the party, we in leadership only hold it in trust for them," he emphasised.

He urged party faithful to remain true to the ideals upon which the party was founded, saying: "The NDC and the Progressive Alliance, very unlike other parties in Ghana, sprung out of and survived on a high degree of integrity.

"The party was born not by money but by the strong conscience of the masses that had revolted in 1979 against some of the bad practices of the past."He urged other delegates in regions who are yet to hold their elections to ensure that executives elected reflected as much as possible the ethnic and other demographic characteristics, so that minority groups were not disenfranchised.