Mr Goozie Tanoh, National Reform Party (NRP) presidential candidate in the last elections, described variously by his NDC critics as a rebel, power-drunk and indisciplined for calling for reforms in the NDC, has been vindicated by the choice of Dr Obed Yao Asamoah as the national chairman of NDC.

It is the general expression that Obed would bring about drastic changes in the NDC. The Reformists should be applauded for creating awareness of the need for the exercise of true democracy in the NDC,” a group of cadres in Kumasi suggested while hailing the election of the former Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, as NDC party chairman over the weekend.

The group said a win for Obed would help smoothen the politics of Ghana and urged Ghanaians to encourage the new NDC chairman to make NDC democratic and break the monopoly of the Rawlings factor in the party. Spokesman of the group, Mr Amoako Arthur, suggested that the Rawlingsism in the political history of Ghana must die now. “He must be silenced for ever.”

The new NDC chairman must be able to fizzle out the “uncouth groups” among the rank and file of the party and destroy the Rawlings support base by all means possible if the party is to move forward. The group envisaged a situation where Obed would join forces with the CPP and wrestle power from the NPP in election 2004.

Explaining their harsh stand against the former President and founder of the party, the group said the ex-flying officer is bankrupt in terms of ideas and that “he is a shameless opportunist” who depends on the toil of others to mould his inadequacies for his populist output. He looks up to people as vehicle to exert himself.”