Ex-President Rawlings slams vote-buying ahead party’s congress

Former President Jerry John Rawlings has poured indignation at what he says is vote-buying by some leading members of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) ahead of the national delegates congress to decide who leads the party to the 2012 general elections.

The practice, he said, was not only alien but dangerous to the health of the party, which was founded on the ideals of integrity and transparency.

Addressing a meeting with the Ashanti regional executives of the NDC in Kumasi, he urged national executives to have the courage to denounce the unhealthy development.

He warned that this was not in the interest and growth of the party as it could potentially rob it of competent leaders.

He encouraged the members and supporters to be guided by clear conscience and reject those who might want to influence them with money.

Former President Rawlings told them to uphold the values of honesty, openness, accountability and self sacrifice.

He did not hide his growing impatience with the Mills’ Administration over its handling of perceived wrongs of the past and demanded that it acted decisively and with some urgency.

He faulted President John Evans Attah Mills for not doing enough to tackle the injustices and fraudulent deals of past government officials.

He said majority of the party’s youth were becoming disappointed by the inability to expose and clean up the corruption of the past.

Former President Rawlings said the government could start by setting up committees of enquiry at the district and regional levels to unravel the decay and scale of graft that took place under the eight years of the Kufuor’s Administration.

Source: GNA