Ras Mubarak Bares Teeth @ Minister!

Ras Mubarak, a member of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) has taken a swipe at a recent appeal by Hon. Alban Sumana Bagbin, a Member of Parliament for Nadowli West and Minister for Water Resources Works and Housing, who called for unity in the party. Mr. Bagbin is said to have stated in a recent radio interview that it is not �proper for a sitting president to be contested at a party primary�, adding that they should learn from history so as to avoid the mistakes of the past. In a statement issued by Mr. Mubarak, he stated that �the Hon. MP is wrong to suggest it was not proper for a sitting president to be contested at a party primary. He is wrong to see Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings� candidacy as �not proper� rather than valuing the contribution and difference it will make to our democracy�. The statement indicated that the party had been disunited long before Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings announced her bid to run for the leadership of the NDC and lead it in the next Presidential election. He queried: �How does a democratic process like an internal party contest bring about disunity?� Mr. Mubarak stated that the history of the NDC showed that the last time the party had a coronation instead of a contest, some of the staunch supporters and members left the party and added that �if history is anything to go by, this is the time to send a message to the country that in our party, all are equal before the law and a sitting president has as much claim to the leadership of the party as the next qualified member�. He asserted that political parties which failed to replace their floundering and unpopular leaders have had to pay the ultimate penalty for inaction, which is defeat in a general election.