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NDC committed is committed to
democracy – Prof. Mills
Accra, Feb 27, Ghanadot/GNA - Professor John Evans Atta
Mills, National Democratic Congress (NDC) Leader and
Presidential Candidate, on Wednesday reiterated his party’s
commitment to ensuring that the frontiers of Ghana’s
democratic process are broadened as much as possible.
He said the NDC, being a party that helped give birth to
Ghana’s fourth republican constitution, there would always
be an unalloyed commitment on his part to lead the party
along the lines of acceptable democratic norms.
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Prof. Mills made the remarks
during a courtesy call British High Commissioner, Mr.
Nicholas Wescott, paid to him at his Kuku Hill Office in Osu.
He told the British High Commissioner that; “as much as the
NDC is committed to Ghana’s democracy, there are some
ominous signs that some other players in the electoral field
may be having their own ideas as to how they intend to grow
the country’s democracy. |
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Prof. Mills and the British High Commissioner |
“The NDC is committed to growing Ghana’s democracy and all
we ask for is a free and fair election.”
Professor Mills recounted what happened during the 2004
elections and how because he did not want to fulfill any
inordinate desire and therefore walk in innocent blood to
the presidency, he allowed the NPP to win the elections via
Jake Obetsebi Lamptey’s press conference that declared the
NPP winners.
With the NDC Leader were, Professor Kofi Nyidevu Awoonor,
diplomat and academician, Johnson Asiedu Nketia, NDC General
Secretary, Kofi Attoh, NDC International Relations Director,
Alex Segbefia, Campaign Coordinator, and Antwi Boasiako
Sekyere, Chief Of Staff, Office of Professor Mills.
The role of the Electoral Commission (EC) came up for
discussion and it was brought to the attention of the High
Commissioner how the EC has virtually killed the Inter Party
Advisory Committee (IPAC), when it recently put out its
timetable for this election year without IPAC’s input as was
the case in the past, and this is a source of concern to the
NDC.
Unlike in the past when the voters register was opened early
in the election year so that dummy registers could come out
early for the parties to have enough time to go through it
and correct all anomalies, this year, the EC was planning to
open the register towards the middle of the year.
Professor Mills assured Mr. Wescott that the NDC would
adhere strictly to its social democracy philosophy and judge
its successes by its ability to improve the well-being of
the vulnerable and less advantaged in society.
“I pledge to be judged by the benefits that accrue to the
masses and not by the number of hotels that my son owns,”
the NDC leader said.
Mr. Wescott said that he was very happy to hear that
Professor Mills and the NDC were committed to giving space
to Ghana’s democracy to grow and promised to play his part
in a very neutral way to keep Ghana’s democracy afloat.
“We will keep a close eye on the elections, stay active in
the process, but stay neutral” the High Commissioner said.
Mr. Wescott said he was also very appreciative of Professor
Mills’ commitment to do nothing to shake the solid
foundation that the two countries have built over the years.
The British High Commissioner was accompanied by Rosie
Tapper, who takes over from Mr. Gary Nikols as the Second
Secretary, Political, Press and Public Affairs.
GNA
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