J.J. calls on NDC to dictate terms of elections
The Founder of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), former President Jerry John Rawlings, has urged the party to dictate the terms for this year’s general election.
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According to him, it would be suicidal for the NDC to allow the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) to determine the terms for the election.
“We cannot afford to fight them on their terms. Let us not mimic their behaviour, otherwise we will run into serious problems,” he said.
The former President, who was speaking at the launch of the NDC’s campaign in Cape Coast yesterday, sent the large gathering laughing when he said the First Lady, Mrs Lordina Mahama, had engaged him in a chat prior to his address and expressed hope that he would not deliver one of his rattling speeches that had become known as “Boom speeches”.
Internal weaknesses
He said the NDC could win the December polls only if it properly dealt with its internal weaknesses and called for a return to the values that underpinned the formation of the party.
The surest way for the party to hold on to power, he said, was to reach back to the principles and values that led to the formation of the party, adding: “If we can hold on to those principles and values, we can move into the future and no one can defeat us. We will ride and override every obstacle that confronts us.”
He said he would later share his thoughts on what ought to be done towards addressing the internal weaknesses facing the party.
Former President Rawlings warned that it would be disastrous for the party to underestimate the NPP.
That, he said, was because the NPP had existed for a long period and had been changing its name over the time.
NDC values
For that reason, he said, any attempt at playing by the NPP’s rules would corrupt the virtues that underpinned the foundation of the NDC.
“The nature of who they are, what they are and where they come from are things they are happy with and they will be there for a long time.
“The calculation I want to put before you is that by virtue of who and what they are, their mannerism, their character, it will necessarily give rise to what you and I are in the NDC. In other words, by virtue of who we are and where we come from, we cannot afford to fight them on their terms but on our terms,” he stressed.
He said the elections would not be an easy task and that it would be challenging and demanding.
