Beware of media hype on factionalism in NDC - JJ

Kpando, Oct 16, GNA- Former President, Jerry John Rawlings, Founder of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) last on Saturday cautioned party members to be wary of media hype about perceived factionalism within the party.

"There are no factions in the party," Former President Rawlings told the sixth Volta Regional biennial delegates conference of the NDC at Kpando.


He said the perceived factionalism is rather a struggle between right and wrong in the party and that to make that look like a faction was a tactics to cause confusion in the party.


Former President Rawlings, who delved into issues relating to the 2004 elections and the party's defeat said, the "NDC did not actually lose that election," rather the leadership of the party chickened out when they could have challenged the results in Court and won. He said the issues confronting the party could not be resolved, based on compromises but must be confronted in order to establish what is right.


"When you are in a room which is stinking you do not shut the windows because you do not want outsiders to smell the stench, rather you open the windows to allow the stench to escape and fresh air to get in", he said.


"The NPP is not the problem, the problem is within", he said.


Former President Rawlings said that, there are some people in the party who were preparing the ground to seize control of the party by creating a semblance of weakness within its existing structures instead of making such structures effective.

"Reject those who seek to manipulate you with money", he exhorted. In an address, Dr Obed Asamoah, National Chairman of the party cautioned party members to avoid the "blame game because all of us have collateral responsibility for the state of affairs in the party." "Work with structures of the party and not parallel structures," and cautioned party members that the 2008 elections were not going to be easy, adding, "we are in a game of power in which we have to work to reduce the risks of failure," Dr Asamoah cautioned.


For that reason, he said, the party must be ready to accept facts and conclusions arising out of scientific analysis of issues so as to be able to fashion out the right strategies for winning elections rather than resort to character assassination and mudslinging.


He said problems within the party should be resolved through compromises in the supreme interest of the party.


Dr Asamoah said the party must come to terms with the gradual improvement in the percentage performances of the NPP in the Volta Region, which rose from six percent in the 2000 elections to 14 percent in the 2004 elections.


The Volta Regional Secretary of the NDC, Mr. Francis Ganyaglo expressed the regional branch's uneasiness with the alleged rift between the Founder, Former President Rawlings and the party's National Chairman, Dr Asamoah.


" We are not comfortable with the position and call for total ceasefire from today", Mr Ganyaglo said in his report drawing a prolonged applause from the delegates and other party members.

"To err is human but to forgive is divine", he said.


In a solidarity message, the NPP said a strong opposition is virtuous and essential to nurturing a virile democracy and that the NDC has been able to avail itself creditably in performing that role both in and out of Parliament.


The message said the NPP looked forward to a keener contest between the two parties during the 2008 elections to further demonstrate their commitment to democracy.


The message further said the two parties were confronted with similar challenges as they embarked on their constituency, regional and national conferences to elect new leaders and hoped that like the NPP, the NDC would come out of those assignments much stronger.