Former President Jerry John Rawlings, Founder of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), on Saturday extended reconciliatory hands of fellowship to Dr Obed Yao Asamoah, National Chairman of the party.
The Former President said whatever differences existed between him and the party chairman was over and belonged to history.
He said: "I call on the rank and file of our great party to emulate this act, unit and extend similar reconciliatory gestures to any member who have crossed your path either at the national, regional, constituency and ward levels for a stronger NDC,"
Mr. Rawlings who was speaking at the NDC's Special Delegates' Congress in Accra to elect a the party's flagbearer said the battle ahead of the NDC required total unity within party structures and among its leaders to strengthen the structures for electoral battle to recapture power in 2004.
At the elections, Professor John Evans Attah Mills former Vice President and NDC's 2000 presidential candidate pulled 1,116 votes to beat Dr Kwasi Botchwey, former Minister of Finance who had 194 votes out of a total of 1,310 valid votes cast. Mr. Rawlings also congratulated Dr Botchwey for sincerely conceding defeat in good faith and also pledging to work with Prof Mills.
Congratulating Prof. Mills, Mr. Rawlings called for hard work as the task of recapturing power had just started, stressing, "the great victory is only the first step, the triumphant moment would be decided in 2004." Amidst cheering and shouting from the large audience, Mr. Rawlings called Dr. Asamoah to the podium and embraced him to signify unity.
Former President Rawlings also called on members to remain focussed on the principles that had guided the party from the beginning and to avoid the temptation of expediency.
These principles according to him included commitment to the truth and objectivity and the urge to fight for the rights of the underprivileged. He commended the NDC Parliamentary Caucus for putting the government on its toes and for cooperating with it when dealing with things that were for the national good and resolutely resisting what was not in the people's interest.
