VP denies tension between wife and Mrs Rawlings

ACCRA, October 11 -- Vice President John Evans Atta Mills, who is also Presidential candidate for the ruling NDC for the December election, said on Tuesday no tension exists between his wife and the 31st December Women's Movement (DWM) as has been speculated. He said the DWM is registered as a Non-Governmental Organisation and so long as it remains and operates within the laws, he would have no problem with its existence under his government.

In an encounter with the media, Prof. Mills responded to a journalist's question about simmering tension between his wife, Naadu, and DWM, headed by the First Lady, Nana Konadu Agyemang-Rawlings.

The journalist asked Prof. Mills if he will change the name of the Movement to keep from reminding people of the 31st December era, whether he will maintain the structures as they presently exist, and if he will ask his wife to join the organisation.

"My wife does not have any problem with the leadership of the 31st December Women's Movement or with any other person," Mills said. He also answered questions on his absence from last month's presidential candidates' forum, the media, corruption, reconciliation and Ghana's future relationship with the international finance institutions.

The session presided over by Mr A.A. Munufie, co-chairman of the NDC and moderated by Dr Charles Mensah, resident director of the Volta Aluminium Company, had a packed attendance of journalists representing private and state-owned media, ministers of state, and NDC party functionaries.

Prof. Mills, whose absence from the forum was widely criticised, said in as much as he would have attended, his responsibilities as Vice President and as acting President at the time made it impossible for him to do so. He said considering his workload, he communicated to the sponsors that he would be unable to honour their invitation.

This was done early, he said, and expressed surprise that the organisation did not even mention that it had received any such response from him. He said he regarded his responsibilities to Ghanaians as Vice President and acting president at the time more important than his presidential ambitions.

"Even though I want to be president, I will never allow my ambition to take precedent over my functions as Vice President or the acting President," he said. Vice President Mills acknowledged the vital contributions made by the Press over the years and said he intends to appoint a media policy adviser to bridge the gap between his government and the people. He said the adviser, with the rank of a Minister of State, will replace the present Public Affairs Secretariat at the presidency.

The adviser will work together with a presidential press secretary to co-ordinate activities between his office and the Media, he said. If elected to power, Vice President Mills said he would formalise regular briefing sessions with both state-owned and the independent press as part of his routine agenda.

Asked about his concerns to cut down the current high number of Ministers of State, Prof. Mills said the issue has been a critical one for the current administration, adding that very little would be achieved if the current constitutional provisions on the appointment of ministers remain unchanged.

The constitution states that majority of ministers should come from Parliament. Vice President Mills said it is not enough to appoint only ministers from Parliament adding that Government needs people outside Parliament too to offer their services.

"In doing this, the numbers will go up, unless we do something about the provision in the constitution," he said.