The General Secretary of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr Dan Botwe, has said that the recent outburst of the former President, Mr Jerry John Rawlings, are all indications that he has become frustrated, desperate and confused because he has realised that his party, the National Democratic Congress (NDC), would lose this year?s general elections.

?I can tell you that the man is confused and desperate that is why he is trying to portray to the whole world that the NPP government is worrying him which is not so,? he said. ? Mr Botwe said this at the Oda Constituency Primary of the party where the Member of Parliament (MP) for the area, Mr Yaw Osafo Maafo, who is also the Finance Minister, was declared the Party?s candidate for this year?s election by popular acclamation. At the close of nominations, he was the only candidate who had filed his nomination.

Mr Osafo Maafo has held the seat for two consecutive terms ? 1996 and 2000. Mr Dan Botwe said the NPP does not know how to rig elections and will never do that this year. He said the party even won the 2000 elections when it was in opposition. He said Rawlings and his party supporters intimidated people in 2000 elections but the NPP won it. ?Don?t forget that they nearly killed Kwamena Bartels and now because they know that they will lose they are making all sorts of noises and ? use them as an excuse,? he said.

Mr Botwe urged the public to ignore the former President. To Professor Mills, Mr Botwe said the NDC flagbearer should come out and apologise to Ghanaians for lying to the whole nation that the government has employed warlords from war-torn countries ?to come and create confusion in this year?s election. ?If Prof. Mills says he is gently, he should come out and retract the statement and all the false allegations he has made against the government.?