General News of Monday, 16 October 2000

Source: GNA

Rawlings criticises opposition parties

President Rawlings said on Saturday that the Convention People's Party (CPP) and the United Party (UP) divide which fouled the Ghanaian society in the early days of independence would re-emerge if any of the opposition parties is voted into power. He said political division wreaked disunity and chaos on the nation until the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) came to restore sanity. "Today, the people have found peace and unity in the NDC and will not go back to the old order," he emphasised.

Rawlings was addressing a well-attended NDC regional rally at Bawku in the Upper East Region of Ghana. He said although the present government has done a lot for the country in terms of development, more still needs to be done. It is for this reason that the people should vote the NDC back to power in the forth-coming election on December 7.

"When we have consolidated what we are now building upon, may be in two generations, we would have solidified this process to the extent that no one can wind it backwards."

Rawlings, whose second term expires this year, indicated that certain parts of the 1992 constitution have to be changed if the country's ongoing development process should be sufficiently updated. "To be able to do this, it is important to have our MP's in parliament to support Professor Mills."

He urged the people, therefore, to ensure that they vote for the NDC flagbearer as well as the party's parliamentary candidates in the December elections.