Speaker implores Rawlings to act with decorum

On the eve of today's by-election at Odododiodioo, the Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament and the MP for Elembele Constituency, Mr Freddy Blay, has called on the founder of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr Jeremiah John Rawlings to act with decorum and stop inciting people to fight.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with newsmen yesterday, Mr Blay said the NDC founder no longer wielded the power to make people tremble and moreover he is not taken serious by the public anymore.

Blay regretted that, "Rawlings always wants to portray that there is tension in the country, calling for blood to flow, accusing the government of corruption. All that he talks about is destabilization. At first some of us used to get angry or worried that such things are happening. We hoped he would change, but he did not. Ghanaians are getting to know him better."

He said Ghanaians should not be frightened at all of the ranting of Rawlings at a rally in the Odododiodioo constituency. He said Rawlings' attacks on independent institutions such as the Armed Forces and the Judiciary are not relevant to the people of Odododiodioo.

"Why should the by-election become an opportunity for people to settle old scores which are not relevant to the people of Odododiodioo? They need development, employment, and housing facilities. Why should he attack the Chief Justice and the Armed Forces? Once you start attacking them you let them have credibility problems. It is unfortunate that he wants to sue this small election to degenerate into something else."

Obviously un-amused by the NDC leader's abrasive effusions in the run-up to today's polls, the Deputy Speaker said, Rawlings' utterances "are no more news to us. It would have been nice if he had been acting as a former president and giving advice here and there. But his behaving like he himself is campaigning for the presidency." Mr Blay was more charitable to twice defeated NDC presidential candidate (2000/2004) Professor John Evans Atta Mills for conducting himself as a statesman and urged the NDC leadership to call their founder to order.