Rawlings' support for NDP "is not a big deal" - Mahama

President John Dramani Mahama has for the first time spoken about the tacit support given to the newly-formed National Democratic Party (NDP) by former President John Rawlings.

According to President Mahama, his campaign is going pretty well and is unperturbed by Mr. Rawlings’ association with the NDP. “I believe that our campaign is going well and that God is on our side and I believe that we are going to be victorious.”

Former President Rawlings, who is the founder of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), addressed the maiden Delegates’ Convention of the NDP in Kumasi where his wife, Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings, was endorsed as the party’s flagbearer ahead of the elections.

Mr. Rawlings told the delegates that he expects a massive revolution in the NDC after the December polls, which according to him, will reunite the former first couple to the party.

Mr. Rawlings indicated that many parliamentary candidates of the NDC will lose their seats due to the crass corruption that has eaten into the fabric of the party.

But President Mahama who is currently returning from his campaign tour of the Northern Region, told XYZ News, the NDC must respect the choices of the NDC founder because the 1992 Republican Constitution protects freedom of association.

“We have as one of the cardinal principles in our constitution, freedom of association, and so people are free to belong to any party or associate themselves with any party they want. I don’t think that it’s a big deal. We must respect their human rights to associate with a new party if they want to,” he said.

President Mahama said he wants rather focus on creating a new face of politics where everyone would feel a part of the changes that are going on no matter which political side the person belongs to.

“I think that we must bring to an end this process where when you win then people feel excluded in this country. We are all Ghanaians. We must all be a part of what is happening in this country.”

Touching on his vision for the country, President Mahama said “I don’t think that businesses should suffer because one party has one or another party has one. All Ghanaians must have the opportunity to exercise their full potential.”

The president said he is looking forward to opening the economic potential of the country for all individuals to be able to access opportunities created by the Better Ghana Agenda.

He however admits that there is still a lot of work to be done saying “It fires me up. I think my mind currently is going just beyond the campaign and the election.”

President Mahama stressed that he will do well to ensure that the necessary development projects are undertaken to make life a lot easier for Ghanaians and businesses.