Hundreds of people gathered outside the gates of the old Parliament House as former President Rawlings appeared before the National Reconciliation Commission (NRC). Essentially peaceful demonstrations were marred as one or two men from the crowd pelted police officers with stones. Desperate to gain entry to Parliament House some scaled the wall and battled with police.
One officer was knocked from his horse, but using batons the police quickly subdued the insurgents. Another policeman received a cut on his forehead. There was sufficient threat to force the police to call in an armored vehicle equipped with a water cannon.
But officers acted with restraint and it did not become necessary for the cannon to be used. Some members of the crowd chanted ?J.J. ? arsehole!? and opinions were split, but the majority of the noise came from the pro-Rawlings camp. National Democratic Congress (NDC) members were dancing, chanting, drumming and blocking the road.
They sang ?J.J. Champion? and declared: ? The people are solidly behind you?. Several traders took advantage of the excitement and reaped healthy profits from selling NDC hats and T-shirts. The early conclusion of the former President?s appearance was greeted with cheers and scenes of celebration. Rawlings? supporters claimed his brief testimony proved his innocence.
As the news that he had finished spread, the crowd surged forward and poured into the forecourt of the old Parliament House to celebrate their perceived victory. ?It was straight forward and clear cut,? says Dr. Josiah Aryeh, General Secretary of the NDC.
Dr. Aryeh, like the rest of the party?s supporters present at the NRC?s hearing, said it was imperative that the Commission stopped at what was on the subpoena - questions about both the video and audio tapes about the ?82 and ?83 murders and executions respectively.
?And as I said, the man (ex-President Rawlings) said he knew about it with sincerity and that?s the end of the matter,? Dr. Aryeh said.
Another jubilant supporter of the pro-Rawlings camp, Hon. Edith Hazel, Member of Parliament for Evalue Gwira, expressed hope that the former President?s appearance at the NRC would now put the speculation about him not wanting to appear to rest.
Asked whether this would now change her negative perception about the commission, Hon. Hazel said as long as the chairman for the commission, Justice Amuah-Sekyi, was still shouting at witnesses who appeared before it, she still held her views about the bias of the NRC.
?I think if we have to build confidence in the commission the chairman actually has to be talked to, to kind of conduct things in a different way,? Madam Hazel said.
