Ghana’s Ambassador to the Czech Republic, Victor Smith, still maintains the decision by former First Lady, Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings to contest against President Mills for the flagbearer position of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), does not sit well with the husband, Mr Rawlings.
A former close confidante of the Rawlingses and one-time Special aide to the ex-president, Ambassador Smith contends that Mr Rawlings is silent over the matter because he wants to have his peace of mind.
“Former President Rawlings does not back what his wife is doing but because he wants peace in his house, he has no choice but to support her. It was not his intention for his wife to contest President Mills. I don’t think Rawlings is campaigning for his wife because I know him very well...,” he added.
Speaking in an interview with Alhassan Suhini on Radio Gold, an Accra-based commercial radio station, Ambassador Smith dismissed reports quoting Mr Rawlings as saying he (Smith) lied about his (Rawlings’) position concerning the former First Lady’s decision to run against President Mills.
According to him, the former President trusts him and can vouch for him for that reason; he (Rawlings) cannot label him a liar.
“Former President Rawlings cannot say I am telling lies because he trusts me. It is not true… probably, the newspaper just wants to propagate a personal agenda…,”he said.
However, Kofi Adams, spokesperson for Mr Rawlings discounted Victor Smiths’ claims saying the former President does not trust him (Victor) to tell him what he “feels” or his “secrets”.
Speaking on the same platform, Kofi Adams said; “I don’t know if he (Victor) has stopped being an ambassador and is now a soothsayer. Rawlings speaks clearly his mind when it comes to politics especially in relation to the party (NDC). So we are surprised that Victor can say that.”
When asked if the press statement released to debunk what Victor Smith was issued by the former President, Kofi Adams said: “The founder of the party does not issue statements, and moreover, we don’t have to wait for someone to tell us when to write a letter and when not to. If we feel something is wrong, we will come out with a letter and explain or clarify; and that is what we have done in Victor’s case.
He admitted that though the letter came from the Office of the Former President, it was not Mr Rawlings who penned down the words as contained in the letter.
