Don't marginalize Rawlings

Kumasi, May 5, GNA - A group calling itself "Concerned members of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in Kumasi" on Monday appealed to the National Executive Committee (NEC) to collaborate effectively with former President Jerry John Rawlings in their activities to help foster unity in the party.

The group said recent happenings in the party gave room for suspicion that the former President, who is the founding father, was being marginalized in the party's activities. This was contained in a statement jointly signed by Mr Mustapha Sulemana and Baba Mohammed, spokespersons for the group and issued in Kumasi.

The statement cited the circumstances under which Mr. John Dramani Mahama, the running mate to Prof John Atta Mills, was elected recently and said what transpired suggested a calculated attempt by some people to marginalize the founding father from the event. "Whereas the founding father was told that the programme would start at 1100 hours the organizers, through the influence of these people, intentionally started and finished the programme one hour earlier whiles there was no communication on the change of time," it said. The statement said the same issue of marginalization of the former President was looming in respect of the outdooring of the running mate on May 7.

It said it was unfortunate that whereas former President Rawlings is on an assignment in Nigeria, the NEC was preparing feverishly for the outdooring without necessarily waiting for the former President. The statement appealed to NEC to, as a matter of urgency, postpone the scheduled event to enable the founding father attend the occasion in order to grace it since he played an important role in the party's endeavours.

This, they said, would help promote unity and peace to benefit the party in the impending elections. The statement appealed to the NEC to use its good offices to impress upon all aggrieved members of the party to come back in spite of their differences to enhance the NDC's chances in the impending general election.