EDITORIAL: NDC Must Drink Deep Or Taste Not

The ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) went to congress to elect party executives, in a fashion that has been widely described as one of the most successful and incident-free in recent years. In fact, the party has demonstrated that it had learnt a lot of lessons from the fallouts of the infamous Koforidua Congress, which for a long time dented the image of the party, and cost it some valuable followers. The party, prior to the congress, was in a self-destruction mode, as bickering and open hostility towards one another became the order of the day, which has been widely blamed on a break in communications in party circles. The party had also received its fair share of inundation of verbal attacks from the Founder of the party, Jerry John Rawlings, who certainly has had issues with some recent developments, which according to him, had the tendency to spell doom for the party�s future fortunes, and had made some very controversial comments to express his sentiments. He had particularly not been happy with the quality of service of some workers in the vine yard of the President, and the slow pace at which the government was working to make life better for the ordinary Ghanaian. While commending the ruling party, The Chronicle thinks the congress would have had that touch of class, if all the other political parties were present to give their solidarity messages. As the various political parties in the country strive to strengthen internal democracy, there is need to be wary of egoistic individuals whose utterances and deeds challenge the internal management and functioning of party systems. The NDC has already entered the second year of its term, and despite the words of self-adulation coming from members of the government, the ordinary people of Ghana are unimpressed with the state of the nation. As reiterated by former President Jerry John Rawlings, many Ghanaians are under excruciating pain that needs the government�s undivided attention, to adequately apply the right palliative measures to reduce their suffering. As the Vice President, John Mahama rightly puts it, the survival of the party and the government, would depend on the manner in which they handle their differences, and strive towards greater unity, cohesion, hard work and resilience, to move the country towards their Better Ghana Agenda. The Chronicle only hopes that the performance put up in Tamale was not staged, but a thing that sets the foot of the party to focus on building a better Ghana. Certainly, they must �Drink deep, or taste not of the Pierian Spring: where shallow draughts intoxicate the brain and drinking largely sobers again�. Remember, Ghanaians have become more discerning, and are watching to see how the party builds on what they demonstrated in Tamale.