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The race for the ruling National Democratic Congress?s (NDC) Parliamentary seat in the Osu Klottey Korley area has become the most interesting, political analysts have assessed
Incumbency and political maturity of Nii Armah Ashietey, the Member of Parliament for Klottey Korley constituency has been pitted against the political legacy of NDC founder, ex-President Rawlings being ridden on by his first child, Dr. Ezenator Rawlings.
Dr. Zanetor Rawlings is basically a green-horn in politics and would be relying heavily on the legacy set buy her highly charismatic parents, but analysts believe Nii Armah Ashietey who is being backed by some very powerful people in the NDC would thump Dr. Rawlings, despite her powerful parents.
“The work of an MP is mainly that of a facilitator- you need negotiation skills and experience to network and connect with people in Government responsible for development,” Nii Armah Ashietey said, touting his political experience.
?I will shock Zanetor. Take it from me. I am not threatened at all. We will play a fair game and at the end of the race she will call to congratulate me. I however, hope that after the primaries, she will still be interested in contributing her quota to the constituency since she has now made it clear that she has an interest in the constituency?
Dr. Rawlings since her announcement to contest the Klottey Korley seat has been widely interviewed, but has been massively criticized for exhibiting her political immaturity in her utterances.
For instance, when she was given the opportunity to tout the credentials of President Mahama who is the obvious flagbearer of the NDC in the 2016 elections, she declined, saying ?I can?t rate Mahama. I?m not a rating organization.? When further pressed to assess the chances of the ruling party in the 2016 elections, Dr Rawlings, who did her maiden solo flight at age 13, believes Ghanaians will be the best examiners of the current administration and the outcome of the 2016 general elections will be the scientific results.?The elections next year will determine how the people see the government,? she said.
These statements, together with her earlier assertion that President Mahama needed to work with a better team than what he currently has, has attracted massive criticism from a cross-section of party members who suspects she holds similar disdain towards the current crop of NDC leadership similar to her mother, Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings who has been a harsh critic of the current administration.
Nana Konadu, the former first lady and co-founder of the NDC with her husband got so peeved with the NDC that she broke away to form her own rival party, National Democratic Party (NDP). This animosity between Nana Konadu and the NDC is said to be a baggage hanging over the chances of Dr. Rawlings convincingly winning people over at her constituency.
Over the weekend, the two combatants for the Klottey Korley seat simultaneously launched well-hyped initiatives in the constituency; while Dr. Rawlings launched her health walk, Nii Armah Ashietey donated massive amount of relief items to flood victims in the constituency. He also also organized mass registering exercise for constituents to be captured in the National Health Insurance membership. So far, he is said to have registered over 5,000 constituents.
During her campaign launch cum health walk initiative, both parents of Dr. Ezanator where very conspicuous, sending a clear message of their decision to throw their full weight behind their daughter and an expected effect they want on influence constituency voters of the NDC.
President Rawlings had already made his stance for his daughter clear enough, and showed he?s ready for the fight ahead when he spoke at the health and fitness walk held by her in the Klottey Korle constituency earlier on Sunday
Meanwhile, the incumbent says he is not perturbed by the influence of the Rawlingses, ?I don?t see Ezenator as a challenger; she is not a bother to me at all. I know the amount of work I?ve done in the constituency, the delegates and residents are all living witnesses. I?ll continue to occupy this seat come 2017?.
“Together, we have embarked on Several Developmental Projects, we still have much to do. The ultimate is to bring relief to persons who reside in flood prone areas in the constituency,? he said.
He is currently working with government to finish up drain construction projects ongoing in various parts of the constituency. ?It is my hope that we continue to work hand in hand to finish the good works we have started,” he noted.
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