KONADU CRASHES OUT
By Daniel Nonor
The dreams of former First Lady, Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings, leader of the newly formed National Democratic Congress to contest this year’s presidential elections on the ticket of the newly formed National Democratic Party hit a snag, after she failed to meet the EC’s criteria by the close of nominations yesterday.
The electoral Commission disqualified Nana Konadu for failing to properly fill out her nomination forms.
By the last count, Mrs Rawlings has suffered two excruciating setbacks in a long nurtured ambition of occupying the highest office of the land, after occupying the position of a first lady for close to 19 years, with her husband as head of state.
She suffered a humiliating defeat at the Sunyani congress, where she contested the flag bearership of the National Democratic Congress, against the then sitting President John Evans Atta Mills.
Mrs. Rawlings had raised grave concerns about the conduct of the primaries which she said was fraught with intimidation and tainted with corruption.
Events after the Sunyani congress, however, might have set the former first lady on a collusion course with a party her husband had founded.
Mrs. Rawlings finally made public her discomfort as member of the NDC when she resigned from the party to join the newly formed National Democratic Party, a party believed to be the brain child of the Rawlingses.
Mrs. Rawlings had been making fresh political inroads, after she was acclaimed as the flag bearer of the National Democratic Party, at its maiden congress a couple of weeks ago.
It is public knowledge that the NDP had been formed by disgruntled members of the NDC who think the party has lost out on the ideas of probity, justice and accountability.
At the formation stages of the NDP, there were suggestions that forces within the corridors of power had initiated clandestine means to talk Mrs. Rawlings out of forming the party, including espionage on the activities of the party, if persuasion failed.
The infamous tape recording of the National Organiser of the ruling National Democratic Congress revealed plans of planting spies in the camp of the NDP.
By failing to make it onto the ballot paper in the coming elections, questions are being raised at how the former first lady would fare in the mist of the strong resentment that members of the NDC had expressed about her resignation from the party.
By close of nominations by the electoral Commission yesterday, only seven political parties registered with the Commission had filed their nominations with the EC to contest the December Presidential elections.
The UFP, NDC, NPP, PPP, GCPP, PNC, CPP, have all been cleared by the EC to contest the December elections.
With just 48 days to elections, political activities in the country is set for an interesting but fiercely contested elections.
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Although, I am not enthusiastic about Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings’ ambition to contest for the presidency, but she deserves every right as a citizen of Ghana to do so. I smell something highly fishy about her disqualification. The actions and inactions of the EC in this regard is a complete affront to democratic dictates of our constitution. The EC as an organization always pleads for time to complete or make corrections to shortfalls in electoral processes – a case in point was the recent district level elections. Further, in the year 2008, the EC gave the Presidential candidate of PNC, Dr. Mahama, ample time to complete his nomination forms, inspite of the deadline. We should always remember that, ” what is good for the goose is also good for the gander”. We should let perfect tranquility predominate in Ghana’s political dispensation.
Thank you.
Fishy? You can say that again!
Nsuo kyere wo toa mu a egye hwan. When water stays too long in a bottle it stinks. Afari Gyan has been around for too long at the EC and has become too arrogant and cowardly. Remember cowards always appears as bullies. Afari Gyan has been around for too long he easily forgets things he has gleefully done in the past. How many times did he have to relay his CI creating the new constituencies by his understanding of the word “review”? He has become so arrogant he has forgotten and refuses to be reminded the word “review” is not synonymous to “adding”.