Full Speech From Rawlings' News Conference

Members of the Council of Elders of the Party,
Party Executives, Parliamentarians, and members and sympathizers present Ladies and Gentlemen of the media,
The first quarter of 2003 has gone and we have approximately twenty months left to show the Kufuor administration the exit.

I, therefore, deem it important and necessary at this time to send a special message to all members, supporters and sympathizers of the National Democratic Congress to reassure and encourage them to stand firm and not relent in their efforts to attain a just society. This is because most Ghanaians still look up to the NDC for leadership and direction, notwithstanding our recent reversals at bye-elections and the misleading propaganda of the ruling party. The incredible electoral malpractices being brazenly perpetrated by the ruling party and government are a clear sign of the belief of the NPP that the end justifies the means. It is not by coincidence that the Vice President visits only constituencies where bye-elections are pending for each visit is often followed by the unplanned inauguration and "completion" of projects, which would otherwise have required longer periods to even plan.

During such hastily arranged trips the NDC is always prevented from campaigning freely for some perceived "security" reasons while the ruling party has the entire field to itself. Is this the same NPP that used to preach the virtues of a level playing field?

Officially- sanctioned violence during the campaigns at bye-elections seems to be part of the master plan of the NPP to intimidate supporters of other parties at all these elections but for how long can we stand idly by and allow this fraud to continue?

We saw all these misdeeds in Wulensi and Navrongo and now it is being repeated in Gomoa East. Such flagrant abuse of incumbency is, indeed, insulting to the intelligence of the electorate and the people of Ghana as a whole.

Some of us would like to know whether democracy and for that matter, the entire electoral process, is up for sale? Are the sanctity and integrity of the right of choice being corrupted and compromised?

I am reliably informed that the Electoral Commissioner has evidence of the fraud that has been taking place in constituencies having bye- elections. The massive injection of monies and "gifts," the use of multiple identification cards and under-aged voters etc all confirm that electoral malfeasance is brazen and seemingly institutionalized.

The helpless manner in which officials of the Electoral Commission look on while NPP activists openly subvert the Constitution and the electoral process is a major threat to our young democracy.

A government in office is expected to use its power and authority to fight and prevent fraud, and not to promote and lead the way in corruption. There is no surer way of destroying the social and moral fabric of a society or nation than for the government to attempt to destroy the sanctity of an election and the right of choice by the governed.

My Brothers and Sisters,
The outcome of recent bye-elections do not reflect the true mood of the people on the ground. If the sanctity of an electoral truth cannot be told through a clean electoral process, how else can it be told?

If the sanctity of the truth is going to be corrupted and prevented from being told are we not sowing the seeds of discontent and instability? Our people are being denied their right to make choices based on facts, merit and logic, thus clearly undermining the basic principles of democracy.

Ladies and Gentlemen,
The growing agitation on everyone's mind then is what happens to the national truth come December 2004, when Kufuor and his NPP are expected to be sent back to where they came from?

Will they corrupt and prevent the truth being heard in 2004 as they are presently doing in these bye-elections?

My Brothers and Sisters,

The government, the people of Ghana and the Electoral Commissioner will all be abdicating their responsibility of upholding the sanctity and morality of the electoral process if these wrongful activities of the ruling party are not checked .

An electoral process represents the divine choice or preference of a people. Any attempt to corrupt the sanctity or moral authority of that right or choice is a grave rejection or corruption of a divine truth -a truth that underpins the stability of a society.

Fellow Citizens,

The human rights abuses, the corruption in high places, the nepotism, the unbearable economic hardships, the widespread disenchantment and disillusionment in the nation tell another story. The PP /NPP have never had respect or regard for the morality of truth, decency and what is right. You saw it before the 2000 elections but did not believe us. You were taken in by lies but now do not only see the viciousness of their lies but can also feel it in the misery all around you. Should the good people of Ghana be reduced to worshipping their oppressors? No, I do not think so!

Fellow Ghanaians,

Professor John Atta Mills is planning a "March for Survival" to demonstrate displeasure at what is going on in this country. His views are widely shared and all must support the march whenever he decides to embark upon it. Let us not wait for the anger of this nation to boil over before we regret our apathy. Let us all join in the massive procession to say "enough is enough". Let us send a message to the government to stop insulting the intelligence of Ghanaians and govern without inflicting so much economic hardships on the people. If the PNDC and NDC could do it, so should you."

Let us say "No more" to government-induced conflicts, tensions and divisions that have already cost innocent lives. No more to the harassments and persecution of people whose only crime was that they served their nation well." Every Ghanaian has the right to be employed without changing his ethnicity. The people of Ghana have the right to enjoy the peace that they painstakingly nurtured in previous times. Our country has always been one entity with one people sharing a common destiny and no government or individual can change that.

Nobody wants to starve to death or prays to die through conflicts before 2004; the change we're all praying for will come. Let the march show that others are equally entitled to survive up to the 2004 elections and to live in dignity, true freedom and trust in one another, as we were accustomed to during the PNDC/NDC era. Let our Ghanaian pride and patriotism prevail, for God is the ultimate leader, not man.

Ladies and Gentlemen,
Two years of the Kufuor administration have left no doubt in any discerning and objective mind, and indeed the minds of many Ghanaians, as to the incompetence of the present government and the disaster that could befall Ghana if the NPP were to win again.

From the political persecutions and harassments, which set the tone of the Kufuor administration, we have all been witnesses to the failure of their much-trumpeted "zero tolerance for corruption," their insensitive and disastrous economic policies, the entrenched nepotism, the gross abuse of incumbency and rampant electoral malpractices.

So prolific and convincing has been the ruling party's propaganda in the past two years that even some die-hard supporters of the NDC sometimes get carried away by the well-targeted but misleading messages being blared at them.

The NDC on its part has tried, not always as effectively as we would wish, to counter these vitriolic messages by organizing news conferences or by encouraging individual members to participate in radio and television programmes, most of which do not go beyond the Greater Accra region due to technical and political machinations by the NPP government.

Whoever thinks that by vilifying or intimidating prominent members of the party the NDC will automatically collapse is living in a fool's paradise for Ghanaians are not so ignorant as to swallow all the ridiculous allegations being leveled against the leadership of the NDC.

The people of this country have come a long way from the days of empty promises and meaningless ideologies. It is only those who, after callously deserting their country as a result of their own mal-administration and shameless looting who think Ghanaians have forgotten the past completely. Even if they did forget, recent events on social, economic and political fronts have vividly reminded Ghana's body politic that indeed, a leopard cannot change its spots.

When the NPP government first came into office they loudly proclaimed that all NDC officials were corrupt and went on to arrest and subsequently prosecute some of them for crimes that could not even be properly defined in court. Our District Chief Executives were also tagged as corrupt people and subjected to prolonged investigations and harassment. Although many of them were later exonerated and paid their end of service benefits, they are yet to be publicly cleared by the government.

Many Ghanaians, therefore, still perceive of them as perpetrators of corrupt practices, despite the fact that they played fair and acted clean while in office. A few of them must have indulged in unacceptable practices but that should not deny the majority the right to be judged fairly by the people of Ghana. This strategy of the ruling party was deliberately adopted to demoralize supporters and sympathizers of the NDC, so stand firm and be counted among the upright and dedicated ones.

We redeemed Ghana's international image from the low level to which it sank long before the NDC was born and we can do it again if given the chance. However, it is only when we are united, principled and focused with one purpose that we can offer sound alternative to these pretentious opportunists parading as champions of democracy and the rule of law. Since the NPP took over the reigns of government in 2001 they have established a predictable tradition of passing the buck even if the facts are clear. They are also now famous for quietly implementing projects initiated by the NDC that they opposed vehemently in parliament or elsewhere.

It is worth recollecting the number of times the NPP government has forced to back track on its so-called principles to implement or adopt the NDC's projects and programmes. If it were not so sad, it would be laughable!

Some political commentators in Ghana have even labeled the NPP government "revisionist" and unimaginative. The NPP government's change of heart about the relevance of VAT, the need for periodic reviews of petroleum prices, the need to maintain a certain minimum number of ministers for effective governance are but a few examples of the current government's inconsistency and ineptitude.

Their hasty rejection of the NDC'S Vision 2020 development with meek apologies from above confirm that the NDC is indeed a party of solid worth. Such lack of vision and uninspiring leadership as that shown by the NPP government can only move Ghana backwards and cause political and social unrest. The present state of Ghana's economy as well as the dwindling hopes of recovery from the present degrading levels of sustenance exonerate the NDC. My colleagues of the PNDC/NDC fraternity, notwithstanding the recent fraudulent NPP victories at by-elections in some parts of the country and the misleading propaganda of the ruling party, most Ghanaians still look up to the NDC for leadership and direction. The party is being cleansed and those who cannot live up to the high principles of the NDC are falling out. The door is still open for others who cannot measure up. There are plenty of dedicated people to carryon .

Our accusers have proved to be less tolerant of criticisms than we were in office and have on several occasions invited or picked up well-meaning critics of their government to the BNI for interrogation despite their much-heralded but false commitment to democracy and freedom of expression. This attitude of the government has affected not only members of the NDC but also civil servants and other members of the public.

Morale in workplaces is currently very low, as workers, particularly civil servants, feel too insecure to use their initiative to get things done initiative is now the prerogative of one man! Surely nobody wants to be accused of causing financial loss to the state, so apathy and inertia are the order of the day.

Productivity and harmony at workplaces have been the most noticeable victims while Ghana is the ultimate loser. It is a well-known fact that, to qualify for the award of a government contract, one must publicly denounce the NDC and its leadership and some are known to have changed their tribal names to qualify for favours from the government. The NPP government seems to have a penchant for slogans and can, therefore, not appreciate the seriousness of the mess and despondency into which they have plunged our dear country.

It is high time they stopped passing the buck or looking for scapegoats, for they have had enough time to prove their mettle and will be judged by the electorate according to their performance. Gone are the days when the NPP government could score cheap points by blaming the NDC for all its shortcomings and ineptitude. Ghanaians are wide awake!

We must stop this insensitive, incompetent, and uncaring government from again fraudulently winning the mandate of the people to perpetuate their peculiar brand of democracy.

We must all work tirelessly and in a concerted manner, with commitment devoid of rancour, to attain this change in 2004. Those of us who think they cannot keep faith with our party for various reasons are advised to leave before they are flushed out by the people.

My Brothers and Sisters of the NDC,

Just as the NPP is united by its hatred of the CPP, AFRC, PNDC and NDC governments, so must the NDC be united by its proven vision, commitment of its members and their determination to move Ghana forward. In April 2002 we democratically elected a new chairman of the National Executive Committee at a national delegates' conference. By the same process last December we overwhelmingly elected Professor J.E. Atta Mills as our leader and flag-bearer for the 2004 Presidential elections.

It is my hope that we will all come together as one formidable force to support him to catapult our party back into office next year. Now that the euphoria of the extraordinary congress has died down, let us bury the hatchet and marshal our forces to oust the NPP, whose ineptitude as a government is widely acknowledged in Ghana and beyond.

Long live Ghana, Long live the NDC God bless you all. Thank you.