The establishment of the National Reconciliation Commission (NRC) has been attributed essentially to human right violations, the traitorous and rebellious activities of ex-President J.J. Rawlings, in the past.

Speaking to The Crusading Guide, Dr. Edward Mahama, leader of the People?s National Convention said if Rawlings had not been traitorous and rebellious there wouldn?t have been an NRC today. He said Rawlings? treachery had truncated the 4-year mandate offered the People?s National Party (PNP) to rule Ghana in 1981. That act of Rawlings, the PNC leader said, also halted the entrenchment of the rule of law and for that matter democracy in Ghana.

Dr. Mahama said the appearance of Rawlings at the NRC last Thursday was victory for Ghana?s democracy. ?That day in the life of Ghanaians is more important than what transpired in the old Parliament House?, said Dr. Mahama, stressing that ?it is an important milestone in Ghana?s history.?

According to him, the importance of last Thursday?s event lay in the fact that Rawlings for the first time had put aside his rebellious and lawless character and submitted himself to the laws of the land.

By that event, ?we are establishing the rule of law in Ghana; we have established that nobody is above the law ? not even President Kufour or me?, Dr. Mahama intoned. Asked whether Rawlings was telling the truth in his response to the whereabouts of the audio tape which recorded Joachim Amartey Kwei?s last words before his execution and the video film which captured the killings of Halidu Gyiwa, Lance Corporal Sakordie Addo and others, Dr. Mahama said he could not determine that.

According to him, Rawlings swore an oath to tell the truth and what he decided to do with that oath was between him and his God. Rawlings had been subpoened by the NRC to appear before it and produce the audio tape on which he (Rawlings) recorded the last words of Joachim Amartey Kwei before his execution for the murder of the three High Court Judges and a retired army office.