Kufuor has failed -Mills

Ghana's main opposition leader John Evans Atta Mills on Wednesday launched his party's campaign for the December 2008 election and a c cused President John Agyekum Kufuor of failing the people.

He said the Kufuor administration had used political power as "hammer and seeing others as nails, and whenever they had the opportunity they hit them on the hea d ".

Mills, vice president under former president Jerry John Rawlings, pointed out th at Kufuor had not fulfilled his campaign promises. He also outdoored John Draman i Mahma as his running mate.

Prof. Mills, who is leading the National Democratic Congress (NDC), said when el ected he would not regard it as a "Hollywood coronation".

"I was not born with a silver spoon in my mouth, and therefore, when I am electe d this year, I will not regard it as a Hollywood coronation, but as a God-given o pportunity to serve the people of Ghana," he said.

Mills said Kufuor had failed to improve salaries, create jobs and fight corrupti on as he promised in 2000. Prof. Atta Mills asked, "What happened to zero tolera n ce for corruption?"

"It is time for the comfort of leadership to be subordinated to the interest of the majority," he said, adding that the NDC would invest in people, create jobs,

expand infrastructure and run a "caring and transparent government."

The party, he said, would not allow Ghana to be made a "wholly owned subsidiary for drug barons".

Prof. Mills also promised that when he is elected as president, he will be "pres ident for all Ghanaians".