Rawlings refuses to vote

Accra, Dec. 21, GNA - Former President Jerry John Rawlings on Thursday refused to cast a vote for any of the four candidates aspiring to lead the National Democratic Congress (NDC) for Election 2008. He said his stand stemmed from the fact that he supported all the four candidates and that at the December 12, 2006, Family Meeting of the Party at the GNAT Hall in Accra, he had said if he had his way, he would have divided the country into four for each of the candidates who had depicted tremendous knowledge and wisdom in their presentations to take a quarter each.

The aspirants are; Alhaji Iddrisu Mahama, Former Minister of Defence; Dr Ekwow Spioh-Gabrah, Former Minister of Education; Professor John Evans Atta Mills, Former Vice President and Mr Eddy Annan, Business Executive, all of whom are believed to be close associates of the Former President. According to Mr Iddrisu Haruna, NDC MP for Tamale Central, who was the Master of Ceremonies (MC) at the Congress that would elect the party's flag bearer for Election 2008, Former President Rawlings said he did not want to vote so as to maintain his neutrality.

Former President Rawlings has been accused of being dictatorial, since he openly came out to propose Prof Mills as NDC's Presidential candidate for Election 2000. That action led to the breaking away of some supporters of the NDC, who formed the Reform Party led by Mr Goosie Tandoh.