?Former President Rawlings will not and does not get along very well with anybody else in power except himself.? This is according to…

…Dr. Michael Kpesah-Whyte, a senior research fellow at the Institute of African Studies, University of Ghana.

He said Mr. Rawlings seems to get along very well with people only when they are out of power and that his recent criticism against President J.E.A. Mills and other leading members of the government attests to this trend.

The former president launched an attack on members of the Mills-led administration while addressing supporters at a ceremony to mark the 30th anniversary of the formation of the 31st December Women?s Movement, on Tuesday.


Mr. Rawlings indicated that: ?how can the government in its desire to hold on to political power demean itself in such a crass manner? Can we sustain hope and strength in this depraved political atmosphere?? adding ?the current leadership knows it very well but rather than build on the capacity that the Movement brought to the party, they have chosen to exclude them and do worse than our so-called ?enemies? (NPP) were doing between 2000 and 2008.?


Mr. Rawlings further described the government and the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) as traitors and enemies respectively.

But the African Studies lecturer believes these comments are borne out of a myopic worldview of how governance should be pursued. He said Mr. Rawlings has not said anything good about any government since he came into the political limelight and that he has attacked every single government that has ruled the nation.

Dr. Kpesah-Whyte stated that ?he (Rawlings) did it to former President Kufuor and he is doing it to President Mills? He seems not to recognize or give praise where it is due.?

He added that even if Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings became president, her husband will slam her governance style. ?He has his own view of the world. He seems to ignore that other people have their own views of the world.?

He said the former first couple should find out why all those who were jailed under the erstwhile Kufuor administration are still part of the Mills-led administration even though he is always complaining about how his former lieutenant is treating the party faithful.

?Why have all the people who have supported him all these years seem to be uncomfortable with the kind of things he is doing.

?Either the party has moved on or the former president is stuck in the past? It is difficult to know what the former president wants? We should just move on and allow him to live the way he wants to live and respect him for his achievements,? Dr. Kpesah-Whyte stressed.

He said he would not be surprised if the May 15 comment by Mr. Rawlings was only serving as a precursor to a major revelation on the 4th of June which marks a watershed in the history of the NDC party.

Despite the denial that plans are being put in place to form a new party, Dr. Kpesah-Whyte said if antecedents to last year?s flagbearership contest between President Mills and Mrs. Rawlings are anything to go by, then people should not be surprised if the June 4th ceremony is used to mark the formation of a new party.

He however counseled the NDC against panicking even if the former first couple decides to form a new party. He also cautioned the opposition parties against complacency in the same respect.