Ghana’s former President, Flt Lt Jerry John Rawlings has called on the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to embrace the politics of conscience, truth and the power of conviction as it seeks to return to power in 2020.
The founder of the NDC said it is important the party recognized the reasons it lost the 2016 election in order to put in place corrective measures for a positive performance in 2020.
The strength of the NDC the former President said, lay in attaining political power through the power of the people, not the power of the affluent.
Flt. Lt. Rawlings said the party was not unified, not in touch with the grassroots and did not inspire confidence in the electorate during the run up to the last election and called on the party to re-embrace its cores values of truth, integrity, probity and accountability.
In an address read on his behalf by a leading member of the party, Samuel Nuamah Donkor at a conference organized by former NDC Municipal and District Chief Executives in Accra on Saturday, the former President said the history, strength and survival of the NDC have always hinged on the power of conviction.
“The voice and force of conscience and conviction is the only true weapon that the party needs to re-organise itself towards 2020 and beyond. Having a voice of conscience and conviction comes with true sacrifice. It is not an easy road. Those who hold strong beliefs and stand by them tend to suffer abuse, ridicule, insult and sometimes physical abuse but they remain resolute because truth cannot be adulterated. Truth is life and the truth eventually overcomes,” the NDC Founder stated.
The former President also called on the party not to be swayed by the “crass monetization of Ghanaian politics which used to be alien to our party [NDC] and which unfortunately has contributed rather notoriously to the surfeit of negativity and divisiveness plaguing our party.”
The conference which was under the theme; ‘Re-organising the NDC for Victory 2020’ was addressed by leading members of the party including former President John Mahama and Mr. Ekwow Spio-Garbrah.
Find below the full text of the former President’s address:
Let me express my gratitude to former Municipal and District Chief Executives for coming up with the initiative to organize this conference to share ideas on the theme: Re-organising the NDC for Victory 2020.
It is heartwarming that men and women who managed the various municipalities and districts have found it necessary to organize this forum to discuss the party’s fortunes in 2020 and beyond.
Source: 3news
