Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Rawlings charges on Mills; "We will not tolerate poverty of inaction"

Former President Rawlings says the people will not tolerate the "poverty of inaction" exhibited by President Mills and his transition team.

He is incensed with what appears to be the diplomatic procedures adopted by the Mills' administration in this short transition period.

According to Mr. Rawlings, "To pluck out Kufuor and leave everything behind, is courting potential disaster."

"Why are the DCE's in place and in some cases tormenting our people using government machinery on the ground" he charged, in a palpable reaction to a directive from the president Mills to District and Municipal Chief Executives of the previous administration to stay on until new appointments are made.

Mr. Rawlings says the directive is a betrayal of the will of the people, whose efforts brought the NDC into power.

"Are we also displaying such distrust and fear of people's power? And yet it's the people's power that liberated us. It must be allowed to consolidate." He stressed.

Mr Rawlings further decried what he says are the shredding of documents and unwarranted dismissal of NDC sympathizers by functionaries of the previous government who are still at post.

"Are we in power or not, have we taken over or not. They matched us out when you and I have committed no crime. They who have committed crimes and today we have been vindicated by our sense of vigilance we don't even…what kind of diplomacy is this?" Mr. Rawlings lamented.

Party Executives
He was addressing party executives in what is his first public statements after the victory of the NDC in the December elections.

Party Chairman Dr. Kwabena Adjei, Deputy General Secretary Baba Jamal, Alhaji Hudu Yayha for Minister of Defence and some other party faithfuls paid a courtesy call on him at his residence on Wednesday to show appreciation for his role in bringing the party back into power.

In a swift rebuttal the General Secretary of the NPP Nana Ohene Ntow, says Rawlings' comments stinks of a "coup mentality"

He told Citi News the comments are an "outdated revolutionary rhetorics" which should not be tolerated in our democratic dispensation.

He argued the transition is an institutional transfer, and not as a result of a coup, adding offices and documents have to be exchanged smoothly by the two parties.

Ohene Ntow insisted allegations of dismissal made by the Ex-president could easily be verified and dealt with by CHRAJ and not through the orders or what he says are the political vindictiveness of Mr. Rawlings.

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