Don�t Give Up � Rawlings Tells Konadu

Former President Jerry John Rawlings has showered praises on his wife Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings, describing her as �a noble woman� who fought to bring the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) this far. He encouraged the former First Lady �not to give up� her ambition to lead the newly-formed National Democratic Party (NDP), a party that has been disqualified from contesting this year�s presidential election. �I want to assure her that even if it doesn�t work this time, her party has the qualities, the integrity that others will come back to; what the others don�t have,� Mr Rawlings said. The NDP has been formed by disgruntled members of the ruling NDC and Mrs. Rawlings was elected as the party�s flag-bearer. However, when she attempted to file her papers to contest the presidential election scheduled for December 7, 2012, she was disqualified by the Electoral Commission, compelling the newly-formed party to seek redress at the Human Rights Court. Even before the court decides the fate of the NDC breakaway party, the NDP is running a series of radio commercials selling the credentials of Mrs Rawlings why Ghanaians should vote for her. Addressing the Freedom Lectures on corruption, organized by the Centre for Freedom and Accuracy (CFA) in Accra on Wednesday evening, the NDC founder said, �I am not even talking in favour of the most noble woman here and her party that they are attempting to disqualify. �For me, I see this party (NDP) as the party of the future. That is not to say that she should give up. This woman never gives up. A lot of them in the NDC know the role she played,� the former president said of his wife who is now seen as a political turncoat. Mr Rawlings, who is the NDC founder, expressed faith in the NDP as �a party of the future� and it had the �qualities, the integrity that the others [political parties] don�t have.� Bemoaning corruption that has permeated every fibre of the society, the former military leader said, �It is this willingness to tolerate the intolerable that gives the motivation or momentum for persons or institutions with influence to perpetuate acts of corruption within our society.�