It said the input and processes of the congress had been compromised and tainted and the outcome of the process was also “logically bound to be tainted.
“Critical issues occurred during the flag-bearership contest which, in our opinion, need correcting, not only for the NDC party, but for the integrity and credibility of Ghana’s democratic process,” Mr Numburr Berrick, Campaign Coordinator, told an expectant media at a post-congress briefing in Accra.
Journalists who thronged the headquarters of the 31st December Women’s Movement where the press conference was held were disappointed as they thought the campaign team was going to drop a bombshell.
Mr Berrick said the whole process was orchestrated and skewed in a way that prevented the contest from being free and fair.
He said the attempted introduction of regional voting was intended to identify voting pattern of delegates to “victimize non-conformers”.
Mr Berrick said there was a deliberate attempt by the NDC’s Electoral Committee to exclude the Electoral Commission from conducting the elections.
“It was only after the threat of legal action from our legal team that the party brought them on board. By which time the integrity of the process leading to Congress had long been compromised, at least psychologically.”
Mr Berrick said throughout the process, delegates were being coerced by inducements. There was, also, the misuse of the fear factor and threats to vote in a particular direction.
He said that the adoption of tactics alien to the NDC by President John Atta Mills’ campaign team, including the deliberate impoverishment of people, was calculated to make them vulnerable and susceptible to manipulation.
Mr Berrick said there was a calculated plan of intimidation, not only from government officials, but by an “unnecessarily” high presence of heavily armed security personnel at the congress grounds and throughout the Sunyani metropolis, questioning why party faithful who were the strength of the NDC were denied entry to the congress.
“It was unfortunate that our party faithful, who are the backbone of the NDC, were denied the opportunity to participate in this historic occasion….What image do we project to the nation and to the world when we lock the strength of the party outside?”
Mr Berick said even though delegates had made their decision and elected President John Mills as the flag-bearer, one issue that remained unchanged was that Nana Konadu boldly and fearlessly stood up and challenged the “denigration of party principles, the weakening of party structures and the dampening of the party’s revolutionary spirit”.
“She boldly and fearlessly stood up and challenged the growing disunity, apathy and despondency resulting in the disintegration of our party.
“It took courage and a willingness to speak the truth in the face of ostracism and victimization to exact that admission… This is the victory of her stance of courage. Let all who have our party’s interest at heart take note,” he said.
Mr Berrick thanked those who believed in the cause of Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings and saluted their boldness, urging the grassroots of the party to keep faith with her ambition to champion their cause.
GNA
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