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A senior fellow at the Center for Democratic Development (CDD) Mensah Abrampa has said that the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) can do without former President Jerry John Rawlings.
Mensah Abrampa who is also the Programmes Director at CDD stated on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem on Friday that, “A strong political party in government should be able to operate in the absence of a key member of a party”.
President Mills, Former President Rawlings and his wife Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings are taking part in a crunch emergency meeting of the NDC’s National Executive Committee at the Trade Fair Centre in Accra.
The key agenda of the meeting is to set up guidelines for the party’s Presidential primaries expected to take place in December 2011.
Lots of party big bigwigs are also at the meeting which is also expected to resolve the Mills-Rawlings rift which appears to be tearing the party apart.
However, Mr. Mensah Abrampah cautioned that Ex-President Rawlings still commands support from a section of members in the party which will make it difficult for the party to totally ignore him.
He ephasised that people still vote on the line of personality traits hence, he recommends that the National Democratic Congress should find a way to accommodate him (Rawlings) in the party. This according to him, will help in solving the issue of division and the rampant complaints in the party.
Tracing the history of the division in the Party, Mensah Abrampa recalled that the Koforidua congress some time ago is the reason behind all the division in the NDC.
Commenting on the NEC meeting, Mr. Mensah Abrampa was hopeful that the NEC would be able to solve all the recent disturbances within the NDC.
He said such developments tend to effect the nation’s development as a whole and therefore advised the NDC leadership to use peaceful means to resolve their differences within its rank and file so that it does not distract the cause of governance.
In a related development, Mr. Mensah Abrampa has rubbished reports attributed to Deputy Information Minister Samuel Okudzeto-Ablakwah to the effect that, “first-timer aspirants” perform badly in elections.
Mr. Ablakwah’s comments according to the reports, were to woo the Nima delegates to vote massively for President Mills instead of Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings, should the latter file to contest the sitting President at the primaries.
Mr. Mensah Abrampah stressed that political choice of candidates should be based on performance rather than history.
