NDC has never interfered with the judiciary - Rawlings

Former president Jerry John Rawlings has defended the track record of the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) as one that has never interfered with the work of the judiciary.

In an exclusive interview with Joy News, President Rawlings said "we in the NDC have never interfered with the judiciary but I cannot say that for others".

He was short of examples of political interference in the judiciary wrought by other administrations.

In August 2013, opposition New Patriotic Party's General Secretary Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie was convicted for criminal contempt after he insulted some Supreme Court judges deliberating on the presidential election petition.

Three years before, Dr. Kwabena Adjei, NDC Chairman received public bashing after venting frustration at the judiciary after a string of humiliating losses in court.

He said ‘‘people in the judiciary can make a very good case look very bad. If the judiciary is biased, if the judiciary has made its mind in one direction, not even Jesus Christ can change things. We will clean it if they don’t take steps to clean it. We will clean it and let everybody everywhere blame us for interfering in the judiciary and we will take them on. … at the right time, you will see how we clean it. There are many ways to kill a cat’’.

Nonetheless, Dr. Jerry Rawlings believes President John Mahama is continuing in an NDC tradition of respecting the work of the judiciary and gave him thumps up for his efforts.

President Mahama during the 8 months hearing of the presidential election petition that could have unseated him, consistently pledged to abide by the ruling of the nine judges sitting on the case.

According to the ex-president, "Mahama's presidency has afforded the opportunity [for the judiciary] to regain its stature".

He is therefore urging the chief justice to take advantage of the political climate to "step up the integrity" of the judiciary so that Ghanaians can "feel confident of judicial decisions".

He insinuated that other political parties while in office interfered with the judiciary and "will do so if they get the opportunity again”.