Rawlings: Who am I to decide for the military?

President Jerry John Rawlings on Tuesday dismissed claims by the opposition that he was setting the security forces against them, saying he was in no position to do that.

"Who am I? Nobody, not even the president of America can use our brothers and sisters in the military, to stop someone, who has honestly won the mandate of the people to enter the Castle," the President said, when he addressed a packed crowd at an NDC rally in Accra. President Rawlings said the military consists of men and women of high integrity and high sense of responsibility and do not need anyone to tell them what to do.

"They have won recognition and respect in many countries abroad for excelling in high professionalism any where they find themselves and could not be taken for a ride."

"What they will not do, however, is to stand aloof and allow a group of people seeking power at all cost, to disrupt the hard earned achievements of the country.

"We'll not allow the opposition to draw us back," President Rawlings said.

He described the hard stand of the opposition against the use of thumb-printed identity cards in Thursday's elections as very unfortunate and said the ruling by the Supreme Court is a victory for thousands of voters in deprived areas, who could have been disenfranchised.

President Rawlings also condemned the attitude of protestors, who trooped to the Court premises while the case was being heard.

For instance, he said, there could have been violent clashes had the NDC, which was opposed to the opposition's stand on the issue also sent supporters to the Court to make noise.

President Rawlings recalled few chapters in Ghana's history especially the hard times, and the gradual process of development the country went through, saying that should form the basis for the electorate to make their choice on Thursday.

"You should never make a mistake and give the key to the vehicle that we have toiled to acquire, to them (opposition). "We have fixed the tyres, the battery is charged and everything is set for take-off," he said, adding, "if we make that mistake by letting out the key to them, we'd not get to our destination."

According to him, "the only experienced person to sit behind the wheels and move us forward is Vice President John Evans Atta Mills. "Professor Mills is the only asset among all the candidates. The rest are all liabilities," President Rawlings declared.

He added, however, "if Mr Kufuor, Mr Domestication (Dan Lartey), or anybody else wants power, they should do it honestly and not through lies and half-truths."

The rally marked the last in the regional series, and was attended by a milling crowd of enthusiastic supporters clad in party colours.

Some of them, mostly the youth, chanted anti-opposition slogans in frenzy and went round the party grounds and adjoining streets.

President Rawlings thrilled the gathering with occasional outburst of songs and made body movements to music from the public address system.

Prof Mills said when elected, his pre-occupation would be to create jobs for the unemployed, adding that the necessary policies towards this have already been put in place.



Others who spoke included Prof. Kweku Danso-Boafo, Minister of Health, Mr Ekwow Spio-Garbrah, Minister of Education, Mr Tony Aidoo, Deputy Minister of Defence and Mr Victor Selormey, Deputy Minister of Finance.

They gave an overview of their respective sectors and asked the people to retain the NDC in power to enable it to build on the gains so far made.

The rest were Ms Sherry Ayittey, Madam Faustina Nelson and Ms Babara Fyn-Williams, all leading members of the party.

They urged the electorate to vote for the NDC because "it is the only party that is responsive to issues concerning women and children."

Alhaji Huudu Yahaya, General Secretary, introduced the party's parliamentary candidates to the gathering and asked the people to vote for them