General News of Wednesday, 31 December 2008

Source: Kofi Adams

Rawlings Calls On Kufuor, Akuffo Addo to act

The attention of former President Rawlings has been drawn to a series of actions initiated by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) with the tacit support of the ruling government and the security agencies which if not checked will lead Ghana into complete anarchy.

It has become very obvious now that the NPP?s quest for an election in Tain, vain as it is, was but a diversionary tactic to place a six-month injunction on the whole process that commenced on December 7 and is expected to conclude on January 2.

Reliable information obtained by the former President indicate that the Akufo-Addo campaign group having failed to win the election after heavily doctoring results in several constituencies in the Ashanti Region is sowing seeds of confusion to justify a court injunction.

NDC supporters across the country, but particularly in the Ashanti Region are being provoked to react violently and the blame passed onto leaders of the party such as the former President.

Presently in Kumasi what started as a demonstration by NPP supporters led by the notorious Appiah Stadium and other armed thugs against their leaders, for a perceived poor handling of the election has deteriorated into direct acts of vandalism and violence against NDC operatives following representations made to them by the Regional Minister Owusu Ansah.

Two journalists from Metro TV, Messrs Abdul Basid and Jeff Nsiah Boadu are currently undergoing treatment at the Komfo Anokye hospital.

The former President is directly challenging the NPP, particularly Nana Akufo Addo and outgoing President Kufuor to directly intervene and stop what is potential madness before it escalates.

NDC supporters and indeed all Ghanaians are being cautioned to exercise a great deal of restraint, but let no one be confused. Any acts of violence that occur and are taking place are the direct machinations of the desperate NPP government who believe they are the sole controllers of this country and are unwilling to hand over power when it is clear they have lost.

The NDC in spite of the clear fraud which saw increases of over 30,000 in some Ashanti constituency results between December 7 and 28 has been very sportsmanlike and agreed in the interest of peace to accept that the Tain vote take place.

If the NPP having recognised the helplessness of the situation cannot accept defeat and rather chooses to drag this matter in the law courts coupled with instigation of violence then they will fall on their own swords.