Accra, May 4, GNA - Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings, Former First Lady on Wednesday launched a campaign in Accra to contest the flag-bearership slot of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) for Election 2012. Nana Konadu who described herself as a visionary leader said her decision to contest a sitting President was to bring the NDC back on track to adhere to its core values and principles.

She said the NDC was built on the core values and principles of probity, accountability and freedom and justice but now: 93There is a leve= l of hopelessness and despondency in the once vibrant and progressive Nationa= l Democratic Congress."

The conference hall of Accra International Conference Centre was packe= d with enthusiastic Nana Konadu sympathisers mostly members of the 31st December Women's Movement who travelled from all the 10 Regions in the country to lend their support for her campaign launch.

She claimed that the governance that Ghanaians had experienced since 2009 was not inspiring confidence, which could not also give Ghanaians a hope for the future saying, 93The current leadership has failed to pursue the NDC's avowed commitment of defending the will of the people and a governm= ent that is devoid of arrogance and vindictiveness."

Nana Konadu who is also the President of 31st December Women's Movement, alleged that with the current position of the Party, most Ghanaians were convinced that something dynamic and phenomenal had to happen in the NDC for victory in Election 2012, adding: 93I am the one who could win in next year's Elections for the party."

She said she felt the pain and despair that had engulfed the true supporters of the NDC who had cried for her intervention to salvage the Party and that she could not sit down unconcerned for the political entity to crash down since she had the interest of the people at heart.

Nana Konadu appealed to all delegates not to be swayed with material gifts from anywhere but should vote for her in the impending July 8 July -10 Congress in Sunyani so that she would lead the NDC to victory in 2012. Former President Jerry John Rawlings said women in Africa had been relegated for a very long time, therefore it was time they stood up boldly to assume the roles of leadership.

He said the NDC started losing Election 2012 the very week it assumed power in 2009 due to the leadership style of some people within the Party. "The driver and the gear have to be changed before NDC can make a headway."

President Rawlings appealed to the delegates to vote according to their conscience for Nana Konadu to win the July Congress in order to exert good governance in 2013 to salvage the people of Ghana from poverty.

Mr Michael Teye Nyaunu, Member of Parliament for Lower Manya Krobo, described Nana Konadu as a divine gift that nature had thrusted into the political scene of Ghana who deserved to govern the country. He said government had appointed some persons who did not help in NDC's

victory in Election 2008 thereby created the 93Monkey de work, baboon de chop" scenario and stressed the importance to reject President John Evans Atta Mills and vote for Nana Konadu during the Sunyani Congress. Mr Nyaunu said government had refused to prosecute functionaries of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) who he alleged to be corrupt and also failed to tell Ghanaians the plain truth about the country's debt left behind by the NPP.

Mr Kofi Adams, Deputy General Secretary of the NDC claimed that the spirit of the Party was at the grassroots and predicted a resounding victor= y for Nana Konadu during the congress.

He said the contest would not divide the NDC and that whoever lost the Flagbearership race would still support the winner during Election 2012, campaign adding: 93Nana Konadu is fighting for the truth to prevail in the party." Mr Adams who is also a Spokesman for President Rawlings said: 93Nana Konadu has come to save us, what you need is to be bold and courageous and vote for her during the July congress."