Rawlings urges election winners to embrace all

Former president Flt Lt Jerry John Rawlings has urged political parties  to give an assurance that should their parties emerge victorious, members of the losing parties would have no reason to feel insecure.

The former president, who was recently installed Fafa Fia of Anlo (Chief of Peace), called on whoever wins the election to stretch his/her canopy to all Ghanaians.

He also  counselled against any attempt to undermine the electoral process in order to ensure a peaceful outcome.

NPP Volta calls on Rawlings

Speaking during a courtesy call by the Volta Regional Executive of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) at his office in Accra yesterday, Flt Lt Rawlings appealed, “As much as possible, let’s do everything to maintain the spirit of goodwill.

“Most parties are working towards winning the election and I wish all of you the best. Irrespective of whoever emerges the winner, I hope that the losing parties and their support base will have no reason to feel insecure,” the former President said.

NPP delegation

The NPP delegation, led by Mr John Peter Amewu, the chairman of the Volta regional branch of the party, congratulated former President Rawlings on his recognition as the Fafa Fia of Anlo and commended him for supervising a peaceful transition to constitutional rule in 1992 and subsequently handing over power to the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in 2001. 

The delegation also sought the former president’s intervention in ensuring a successful election by calling on the Electoral Commission to be transparent and publish on its website details of the electoral register and election results from previous elections. 

The NPP delegation also expressed their concern about the potential of non-Ghanaians crossing into Ghana to vote during the elections, suggesting that some who have registered as voters are not Ghanaians but persons who have been influenced to register illegally to vote for a particular party. 

“Members of the NPP, as law-abiding citizens, do not intend to stop genuine Ghanaians who reside in Togo from coming to Ghana to exercise their democratic right to vote. Instead, we are trying to build collaboration among the leaders of the border towns and educate them on understanding the criminal implications of the actions of those who are not entitled to vote trying to do so,” Mr Amewu said.

Response

Former President Rawlings, in his response, told the delegation that he would pass on their concerns to the relevant institutions for the necessary action.

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) Constituency Chairman for Keta, Dr Kwame Djokoto, and the aide to former President Rawlings, Mr Kobina Andoh Amoakwa,  who were present at the meeting, took turns to call for an enabling environment for peaceful elections. 

Dr Djokoto said the presence of the NPP delegation at the office of the former president was indicative of the fact that he truly stood for peaceful co-existence among all Ghanaians, irrespective of their political background.