In-House Fighting in NDC

The Member of Parliament for North Tongu in the Volta region, Hon. Ken Dzirasah has accused the founder of the National Democratic Congress, (NDC) Flt. Lt. Jerry John Rawlings and the NDC Parliamentary candidate of his constituency, Mr. Woyome, of embarking upon smear campaigns to tarnish his reputation.

Hon. Dzirasah has therefore vowed not to campaign for Woyome. He is, however, prepared to campaign for Prof. Atta Mills to win the Presidency. Speaking in an interview with The Chronicle in reaction to allegations that he has abandoned Woyome and is rather campaigning for Mrs. Kate Aglah, the NPP parliamentary candidate, Dzirasah said he was severely castigated by Mr. Rawlings in public for no offence committed.

"I was so discredited in my constituency to the extent that whoever I support now would not win. I am therefore very hesitant to go and campaign for Woyome, who is being supported by Rawlings", he said

Meanwhile, the youth wing of the NDC party in the constituency have called on the national leadership of the party to bring Hon. Dzirasah to book, for attempting to undermine Mr. Woyome, who is the duly elected parliamentary candidate for the constituency.

They are also asking the leadership of the party to ask Hon. Dzirasah to stop supporting the ruling New Patriotic Party's Candidate, Madame Kate Aglah with financial and logistical aid, as against the official candidate of the NDC. They further asserted that Dzirasah is putting up this behaviour because his favoured candidate, Mr. Romeo Hademe, did not win the constituency primary. According to them, this was unfair and has therefore urged the leadership of the party to call Hon. Dzirasah to order.

The South Tongu constituency of the NDC was thrown into disarray immediately Mr. Kobby Woyome won the primary against the favoured candidate of Mr. Dzirasah, Mr. Romea Hademe.

The founder of the NDC, Flt. Lt. Jerry John Rawlings, is reported to have endorsed Mr. Woyome. But the parliamentary candidate has denied the report and stated that he won the primary through his own hard work and commitment to the party.

At Tefle, near Sogakope, in a bid to confirm some of the accusations against the former 2nd Deputy Speaker of parliament, the youth intimated that Mr. Dzirasah has been telling some of them to vote "Skirt and Blouse". The implication was that they should vote for the NDC party's Presidential ticket but vote for another party for the parliamentary ticket.

According to them, they have picked up signals that the MP had allegedly given some jerseys, plastics chairs and made some financial donations to Madam Kate Aglah, the NPP candidate, to assist her to print some T' shirts for her campaign.

The youth leaders, speaking to this paper on condition of anonymity said "What we want is for the NDC leadership to stop Dzirasah from supporting our opponent. He should allow equal platform for the NDC candidate to campaign. He should support Mr. Woyome to lead the constituency and he should not do anything to stifle his dreams of becoming the MP," they asserted.

The constituency chairman, Mr. Wiseman Aklorbortu and the Patron of the party in the constituency, Dr, Benard K. Glover, could not confirm the report or deny it, except to say that they would be surprised if all the allegations against Mr. Dzirasah were true.

They told The Chronicle that though he supported Mr. Romeo, who has even joined the campaign team of Mr. Woyome, Hon. Dzirasah has not been inactive in the party since the primary.

Dr. Glover, flanked by his wife, said indeed there were rumours and allegations flying around but he has not bothered to delve into it, because he did not believe in rumours. "After the primary, we put our heads together to resolve any friction in the constituency", he noted.

Hon. Dzirasah, who sounded very peeved over attacks on his person by the founder of the NDC, however, acknowledged that though there were problems in the constituency prior to the primary, such issues were resolved.

But he was still at pains about the Founder's attack on his personality.

Emphasising the ensuing rift between him and the parliamentary candidate, Dzirasah stated, "I have my obligation to campaign for the NDC and Prof. Mills, but not the candidate ". He was quick to admit that since the primary election, he has not been active in the affairs of the NDC.

Hon. Ken Dzirasah, the former second Deputy Speaker of Parliament said though the accusations are unfounded, the people were basing the allegations on his refusal to give them some 200 electricity poles which he bought with his MPs Common Fund, including some jerseys and plastic chairs to be distributed in the constituency to gain political advantage.

" I was accused of being a DFP member, and now I'm charged with supporting NPP. In fact, I refused to give them the poles since I have already distributed them myself.

They are afraid of coming to me to collect what I promised the party because of what they did," he charged.

According to him, as the Legislator for that constituency, he would continue to provide the needed assistance to various communities but would not channel it through the aspiring MP to give him political advantage.

"Why are they crying wolf? Was it not Mr. Woyome who claimed he has enough money to campaign and that he does not need my support," he intimated and added that it was very unfortunate that some members of the party have sought to undermine him afte serving the community, the constituency and the party over a number of years.