Ashanti NPP to demo against Rawlings

Accra, July 16, GNA - The Ashanti Regional branch of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) on Wednesday said it would organise a demonstrations against Ex-President Jerry John Rawlings for his persistent insults on President John Agyekum Kufuor and members of his government.

A statement, signed by Mr F. F. Antoh, Ashanti Regional Chairman of NPP, said Former President Rawlings at a meeting with Regional Executives and supporters of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in Kumasi, on July 7, described members of the NPP government in derogatory terms.

The statement said the NPP had for many years shown lot of patience with Ex-President Rawlings with the hope that he would change for the better but "unfortunately this has turned out to be an illusion".

It said members of the Ashanti Regional NPP recognised the Ex-President's and any other person's right to free speech, "however, where that freedom is used to insult others and denigrate a sitting President, then our passivity to this rape of our sensibilities should be curtailed forthwith".

The statement said the demonstrators would be telling Ex-President Rawlings that they were tired of his tantrums and rabblerousing. It alerted NPP supporters to be on the lookout for the clarion call and to join the march against Ex-President Rawlings.