DEC 7 IS FREEDOM DAY — RAWLINGS (PAGE 17)

Former President Jerry John Rawlings has called on Ghanaians to see the December 7 polls as a day of freedom, redemption and liberation from the shackles of poverty and the present socio-economic hardships visited on them by the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
He assured Ghanaians that a vote for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and Professor John Evans Atta-Mills at the December 7 polls was a vote for themselves since the party was there for all Ghanaians.
President Rawlings said this when he addressed thousands of enthusiastic supporters of the NDC at separate rallies at Kintampo and Jema, the constituency capitals of the Kintampo North and South, Busunya and Nkoranza, the constituency capitals of Nkoranza North and South respectively, as part of his five-day campaign tour of the Brong Ahafo Region to garner more votes for the NDC.
He said Ghanaians would not only be doing good to themselves but would also be voting for a selfless, humble, dedicated and knowledgeable leadership as compared to the arrogant and selfish personalities of the NPP.
According to him, the NPP used lies, intimidation and deception to win power and had used the same tactics to render majority of Ghanaians powerless, poor and vulnerable.
He, therefore urged Ghanaians not to give in to the lies, deception and vain promises being made by the NPP to further deepen their economic woes.
The former President said, the only way Ghanaians could ensure that the NPP did not retain power in the December polls in order to cover up their bad deeds and corruption, was for the people to effectively police the various polling stations to ensure that the NPP and their agents did not carry out any dubious means to win the elections.
He urged all Ghanaians, especially NDC supporters, not to leave their various polling stations after casting their votes until the ballots were counted for the winner to be declared, and even follow up to the collation centres to ensure that rigging did not take place.
Former President Rawlings also urged the electorate not to allow the NPP to use both monetary and material things to buy their votes or to induce them to vote for them to continue with their divide and rule tactics as well as to enrich themselves and their cohorts at the expense of the broader masses.
He bemoaned the current economic hardship being witnessed by Ghanaians under the NPP rule, saying that it was under the 19 year rule of the PNDC and NDC that electricity and good drinking water was extended to every part of the country as well as the construction of hospitals in all the regional capitals.
The NDC parliamentary candidates for Kintampo North and South, Nkoranza North and South, Messrs Stephen Kuusu, Yaw Effah Baafi, Agyentutu and Emmanuel Kwadwo Agyekum respectively, who took turns to address the rallies held in their various constituencies, called on Ghanaians to reject the NPP at the polls since they had failed to deliver and vote massively for the NDC.