NDC MPs meet Rawlings (Front Page)

THE recent impasse between former President Jerry John Rawlings and President J.E.A. Mills has driven some Members of Parliament of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) to hold an emergency meeting with the former President to seek peace and party unity.
The meeting, which took place last Wednesday, was also to enable the MPs and the former President to discuss the party’s July congress which will select a presidential candidate for the 2012 general election.
The Deputy Majority Chief Chip, Mr George Kuntu Blankson, in an interview with an Accra-based radio station, stated that the meeting yielded the desired results.
He, however, said the purpose of the meeting was not to ask former President Rawlings to convince his wife to withdraw her candidature.
Mr Kuntu-Blankson stated that the meeting became necessary because the MPs were concerned about the acrimonious campaigns of President Mills and Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings, who were contesting for the position of the flag bearer of the party.
Supporters of both President Mills and Nana Konadu,who have constituted themselves into two main groups, “Get Atta Mills Endorsed” (GAME) and “Friends of Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings” (FONKAR), respectively, have in recent times, been trading accusations at each other as the party prepares to hold its congress in Sunyani between July 8 and July 10, 2011 to elect a flag bearer.
Last Tuesday, the situation compelled the party’s regional and constituency youth organisers to initiate moves to patch up the perceived differences between the two groups.
Consequently, representatives of the groups presented a petition to President Mills and former President Rawlings, who is the founder of the NDC, appealing to them to iron out their differences to ensure a peaceful congress and victory for the party in the 2012 general election.
The more than 200 youth, who wore T-shirts bearing the NDC umbrella symbol with the inscription: "NDC - Unity Now", presented the petition first to President Mills at the Castle, Osu.
Thereafter, the group went to the Ridge residence of former President Rawlings but could not meet him personally because he was said to be in a meeting.
The Director of the office of former President Rawlings, Naval Captain Afeku-Amenyo, received the petition on behalf of former President Rawlings.
By the close of nomination last Wednesday, both President Mills and Nana Konadu had submitted their nomination forms together with the approved fees to indicate that they were ready to contest each other come July 10, 2011 at the congress scheduled for Sunyani, the Brong Ahafo Regional capital.

* Portraits of President J.E.A. Mills and former President J.J. Rawlings