Rawlings Seeks Help For NDC

Former President Rawlings has finally met the radical South American strongman, President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela. The two met in Managua, on Wednesday at the swearing-in ceremony of the Nicaraguan President, Daniel Ortega. Rawlings, who went to the South American country at the invitation of the former Sandinista revolutionary leader, used his meeting with Hugo Chavez to plead for support for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) toward the 2008 general elections in Ghana.

The oil-rich Venezuelan leader and his Nicaraguan friend were both sworn enemies of President George Bush and the United States. Additional reports indicated that former security capo, Kojo Tsikata, was also invited to the inauguration, which was seen as the rejuvenation of the socialist forum of South American presidents. Rawlings had on several occasions blamed the United States, Bush, the United Kingdom and Tony Blair for keeping President John Kufuor in power, contrary to his calls for a military uprising against the Ghanaian leader.

Recently, when he visited the ailing Cuban leader, Fidel Castro in Havana, Rawlings pledged his support for the socialist leaders and asked for ‘assistance’ from Chavez. He, at that meeting, which was monitored by Daily Guide, predicted a win for Prof. John Atta Mills both at the NDC congress and in the final elections in 2008. His plea for help was expected to be delivered to Chavez through Fidel Castro, who was unable to attend the Managua ceremony due to ill-health. Hugo Chavez was sworn in as Venezuela’s President for a third term after his electoral victory in December, while Daniel Ortega bounced back to power after losing out 17 years ago.

The one-time Sandinista revolutionary leader fought for almost two decades to return to power. He won November's presidential elections, pledging to fight hunger, poverty and corruption. Although he had said he wanted friendly relations with the US, he had such close affinity to Chavez, who called Bush 'the devil' at the United Nations General Assembly in New York recently. “The devil has just been here, I can smell his sulphur”, Chavez had said when he mounted the UN podium. As he took the oath, Chavez said he would give up his "entire life to the construction of Venezuelan socialism".

The president had already promised to extend his "Bolivarian revolution", calling on the National Assembly to give him the power to rule by decree. After the ceremony he flew to Nicaragua for the inauguration of President-elect Daniel Ortega.

Before the swearing-in, Mr. Chavez laid a wreath at the tomb of 19th-century South American independence leader, Simon Bolivar. In front of a full Congress, Mr. Chavez was sworn in to chants of "Long live socialism". He broke with tradition and wore the presidential sash over his left shoulder, instead of the right, in what he said was a symbol of his socialist credentials. "I swear on Christ, the greatest socialist in history; I swear on all this; I swear on all grief; I swear on all love; I swear on all hopes," Mr. Chavez said. He also repeated his desire for a constitutional amendment that would scrap limits to the number of terms a president could serve.

This would allow him to run again for office after his new term expires in 2013. Mr. Ortega, 61, wore his trademark, white shirt with the cuffs rolled up to his elbows, during the ceremony, in a square that he built when he was president of the country in the 1980s.