Jerry John Rawlings
The Council of Elders of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has indicated that it has started the process of healing and reconciliation among members following the confusion that erupted in the party after its embarrassing defeat in the 2016 general elections.
The council asked party members to desist from rushing to the media on issues affecting the NDC.
“And for the avoidance of doubt, the process of healing and reconciliation has commenced within the Council of Elders itself, Functional and National Executives, as well as other leading members of the party,” the Council of Elders said in a statement signed by Alhassan Mahama Iddrisu, the Council’s Vice Chairman.
The major opposition party has been beset with wrangling among some of its top members since it lost the December 7, 2016 elections to the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
Some of the insults had been directed at the party’s founder and Chairman of the Council of Elders, former President Jerry John Rawlings, for allegedly leading the party to electoral doom during the period under review.
Mr. Rawlings had been chided by some party stalwarts for his open and strong criticisms of the NDC leadership over issues bordering on corruption and gross indiscipline.
Other aggrieved members have criticized immediate past President John Dramani Mahama for presiding over corruption and economic mismanagement during his tenure, which they claimed compelled Ghanaians to vote against his second term bid last year.
The post-election conflict in the NDC has been fierce and in some instances, members had reportedly gone into wild jubilation when their colleagues were cited by the NPP administration as having been involved in corrupt practices under Mr. Mahama.
This has compelled former Board chairman of the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) and NDC presidential hopeful for 2020, Joshua Alabi, to describe the conflict in his party as a ‘dog bites dog’ situation.
In the statement, the Council of Elders entreated all members of the ‘Akatamanso Family’ to remain calm and fully support the process of healing and reconciliation.
It called on all members to respect the structures and procedures in resolving internal grievances and conflicts.
In view of that, the Council has invited all party members to desist from expressing their grievances in public through the media as that would bring the good name of the party into disrepute.
It indicated that as part of the process of implementing the salient and critical recommendations of the Election Review Committee – under the Chairmanship of Kwesi Botchwey – in resolving the internal conflicts, the Council had put in place teams to visit the various regions and join the regional representatives to undertake the process of healing and reconciliation.
By Melvin Tarlue