Intimidation complaints by Mrs Rawlings’ team vague – Asiedu Nketia

NDC’s General Secretary, Johnson Asiedu Nketia, has rebutted claims by the campaign team of former First Lady Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings that the party’s executive have turned a deaf ear to their complaints of intimidation by the president’s team.

Speaking to Joy News’ Dzifa Bampoh, Tuesday, the General Secretary also counseled the various campaign teams to use the appropriate structures and procedures in the party to address their grievances and avoid jumping to the media with their complaints.

Mrs Rawlings’ campaign team had told the media the party is acting contrary to its assurances that the presidential contest will be fair.

According to them, supporters of President Mills’ team, have embarked on a smear campaign as a tactic to win the support of delegates.

Namburr Berrick, campaign coordinator of Nana Konadu for 2012, claimed: “President Mills Campaign Team, codenamed GAME, has constantly been engaged in this act of intimidation against the delegates aim at frustrating Nana Konadu 2012 Campaign Team which is enjoying enormous support.”

He stated that persistent complaints to the party’s national executive to ensure a fair playing field have not been considered.

For instance, Mr Berrick said a request that members of their campaign team be included in the party’s Electoral Commission to ensure “fair, unbiased and democratic” election at the congress, was “treated with contempt as we received a letter informing us that our request could not be granted”.

Furthermore, he claimed the Electoral College supervising the NDC congress is filled with “members of Prof. Mills Campaign Team”.

Mr. Berrick also accused some government functionaries of flouting campaign regulations by “physically preventing” delegates from meeting with the former first lady.

Vague complaint

Mr Asiedu Nketia says the only complaint from Mrs Rawlings’ team was vague

But Mr Asiedu Nketia has rebutted their claims, saying the accusation that persistent complaints of intimidation have fallen on a deaf ear could not be accurate.

“It is not correct to say that persistently they have complained about intimidation. They have written a letter of complaint once, and the letter was so vague, and did not have specifics which will enable anybody to take decision.”

Subsequently, the General Secretary said, the party replied them asking that they “supply some further information: like the type of intimidation being complained of; who and who are the suspected perpetrators; and then where and when they took place; so that any adjudicating authority will know how to approach the issue, they have since not replied.”

He also explained that other demands by the team were turned down because they were not in consonance with the party’s own constitution as well as rules and regulations set for the party’s July 8-10 delegates’ congress in Sunyani to elect its presidential candidate for the 2012 elections.

However, he acknowledged the wrangling by the Nana Konadu’s team were “not above normal”, stressing: “I don’t think the bickering has gone beyond the tolerable level.”

Meanwhile, the President Mills Campaign Team has reacted to the accusations of intimidation with its Chairman describing them as “funny”.

Mr J.H Owusu Acheampong told Joy News the campaign team has not taken any decision to harass or intimidate its opponents.

“So what they are saying about us is not true, and therefore I think you should dismiss it.”

He said so far as he was concerned, “there is absolute fair play” for the candidates.

In the meantime, spokesperson for the Rawlings’ and Deputy General Secretary of the NDC, Kofi Adams, has also called on the party to consider a new arrangement for voting at the Sunyani congress that will ensure more fairness.

Play the attached audio to listen to Namburr Berrick and Asiedu Nketia

Source: Myjoyonline.com/Ghana