NPP hit back

The New Patriotic Party has described the assertion by the National Democratic Congress that there was no need to compare the governance records of the NPP and the NDC as a clear acknowledgement that the NPP has a better record.

A statement signed by Jake Otanka Obetsebi-Lamptey, Chairman of the NPP's 2008 campaign committee, read in part, "at the launch of the NDC Campaign, John Dramani Mahama, the running mate of Professor Mills, asked Ghanaians to reject a comparison of records of the NPP and the (P)NDC in government as a basis for deciding which party to vote for. The big question is this: why is the NDC running away from their own record of performance? The NDC is rejecting comparison because they know it will show clearly that the NPP is by far the better choice.”

The statement continued: “...They reject comparison of records in government and equate that to mediocrity while offering no basis for the people of Ghana to pick the best option available to them. If the people cannot compare the records of our two parties in government, our vision and the competence of our leaders, what can they compare? They fear this comparison because it will expose their incompetence for all to see.

"In short, instead of holding themselves accountable for their deeds and misdeeds, they are asking the people of Ghana and God for forgiveness while insisting that they have no need to show remorse and repentance. It takes breathtaking audacity to present the NDC to Ghanaians as “new” even while touting the same old discredited policies and personalities of yesteryears. The akpeteshie bottle may be new but it still contains the same old hard and harsh liquor.”

Alluding to media reports that had foretold the outdooring of a new face for the NDC, the statement continued, "Today, the party that former PNDC Chairman Jerry John Rawlings conceived and created in his own image, the National Democratic Congress, carried out the most impressive exercise in political cosmetics ever witnessed in our history. They asserted their 'newness' without saying anything new or different.

Ahead of this exercise, the NDC spokespersons worked hard to create the impression that the NDC is no longer the party of its Founder, Rawlings. That assertion flies in the face of the NDC Constitution that asserts that the NDC is founded on the values and principles of President Rawlings.

"We wish the party well in its ultimately futile struggle to free itself from the clutches of Mr Rawlings, who will forever embody that party. It is ironic that this meeting designed to demonstrate unity in the ranks of the NDC was missed by the party’s founder, former President Rawlings. We are all well aware that this continues the charade of Prof Mills standing up to former President Rawlings."