NDC declares support for President Mills

The Executive Committee and the entire constituency executive members of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Brong Ahafo Region have declared their support for President John Evans Atta Mills as the party’s flag bearer for the 2012 elections.

The executives made the declaration in a press statement signed by Mr. Dennis Yeboah Twumasi, Deputy Regional Secretary, after addressing a press conference on Thursday in Sunyani.

The statement said the executives had taken that position to ensure the fulfilment of the party’s “tradition of allowing our incumbents to a second term which the NDC is gradually building” so as to enable the party to win the 2012 general election.

It noted that the party embarked on a systematic process of building a tradition that ensured the continuity of its leadership position “vis-à-vis the Flagbearership” and therefore stressed that “we cannot deviate from this principle and practice”.

The statement stressed “the NDC party was formed in 1992 under the principles of probity, transparency and accountable”, emphasizing “these principles have guided our party’s activities since its formation”.

This, the statement explained, was because in 1996, the party unanimously endorsed the candidature of the then incumbent leader, former President Jerry John Rawlings and overwhelmingly supported him for the flagbearership for the December 1996 elections which led to the massive victory of the party.

“We are emphatically satisfied with the work and leadership style of President Mills over the last two years of his term as leader of the party and President of the Republic”, it added.

The statement emphasized that President Mills had demonstrated exemplary leadership qualities which he had buttressed with the numerous developmental projects located in all parts of the country within the two years of his administration.

“It is therefore our conviction that President Mills deserves another chance to lead our Party to another victory in 2012 to enable him to complete the development agenda he has set for this country”, the statement concluded.

In the Upper West Region, the party has pledged its unflinching support for President John Evans Atta Mills in his bid to seek re-election as NDC flagbearer.

A statement signed by Mr. Eric Dakurah, the NDC Regional Secretary, at Wa on Thursday, said the group was throwing its weight behind President Mills because he was the only person that could take the party to the “promised land” and continue with his development agenda for Ghana.

It said the credentials of President Mills stood tall among candidates of other political parties and that “A Political party wins election based on how acceptable, empathic and proactive their Presidential candidate is”.

The statement appealed to former President Jerry John Rawlings to bury the differences between him and President Mills in the interest of the party of which he was the founder.

It asked the council of elders of the party to meet former President Rawlings to resolve all the differences to ensure peace and unity in the party.

The said NDC regional and constituency executives thanked President Mills for his recent visit to the Region during which he interacted with chiefs, inspected on-going projects and inaugurated completed ones.

They also expressed their gratitude to President Mills for the confidence he had in sons and daughters of the region and appointing them to serve in his government.

The statement asked feuding factions in the NDC to consider the assertion by former President John Agyekum Kufuor that “it is better to be a messenger of a ruling party than to be the Secretary General of an opposition party”.

The Central Region Branch of the NDC has also declared its support for President John Evans Atta Mills.

This is contained in a letter signed by Mr Samuel Adu Yeboah, Regional Chairman of the branch, on behalf of the Regional Executive Committee and sent to the Ghana News Agency.

It read: “We, the Regional and Constituency Executives as well as the Regional Women’s Wing and the Youth Wings of the Party do hereby declare our unflinching support for His Excellency the President, Prof. John Evan Atta Mills, Commander-in-Chief of the Ghana Armed Forces and Leader of the National Democratic Congress.

The letter said: “As a Party that had struggled to win elections under the flag bearership of Prof. Mills, we sincerely believe that no political party will take a decision to change its winning team, most especially a team that have performed so well in transforming the status of this country from a rotten economy under the previous Government, to a better and an enhance economy under the better Ghana Agenda.

“As Parliamentarians, District Chief, Executives, Party Activists and Executives in the region we wish all delegates who will be voting at the congress to vote for continuity which means voting for the President and his Vice.

“We take this opportunity to salute the President and we urge him to be resolute and firm in his conviction for God will be with you and will smile come July, 2011.”

The NDC has set July 8-10, 2011 for its National Delegates’ Conference at which it will elect its flag bearer for the 2012 election.

The decision was taken at the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting held in Accra on Friday. The National Delegates’ Conference would be held in Sunyani.

Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings, First Vice Chairman of the Ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), on Wednesday resigned her position to contest the party’s forthcoming presidential primaries, ending months of speculation that she would contest President Mills for the party’s ticket.

“I have from this day, 13th of April, 2011 resigned as Vice Chairperson of the National Democratic Congress. This will enable me (to) respond to numerous calls on me to contest the flagbearership of the NDC when nominations are opened,” the former First Lady wrote in a brief resignation letter addressed to the Party’s General Secretary.

The letter, which was mailed to the media from the Office of former President, confirmed the deep split in the NDC between President Mills and former President Jerry John Rawlings, who is the founder of the party.

Nana Konadu and President Mills have had teams in the field campaigning for the votes of delegates. Already, a number of delegates have been declaring their support for either candidate.

Source: GNA