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The governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) says as far as the 4th Republic is concerned, the party is a pacesetter in democracy. A deputy Information Minister Baba Jamal who made the statement said the NDC, could not be rivaled by any party in terms of democratic credentials in the 4th Republic. Speaking on Thursday�s Majority Caucus on MultiTV which was dedicated to the governing party�s July 8 presidential primary, Baba Jamal said the congress will affirm his surmise. For him the very fact that the sitting President, President J.E.A. Mills who he said had performed excellently well was being challenged for the leadership of the NDC in the 2012 election was ample testimony to the unparalleled democratic credentials of the NDC. Describing the congress as a landmark, the deputy Information Minister said, �This is the first time in the history of this country that a sitting president is being contested, first time in this country within one party you are having serious contest to the presidency.� But the former First Lady Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings� decision to go into the contest with the president, in Baba Jamal�s view, is ill-motivated, ill-informed and unwarranted. Conceding the president of the 31st December Women�s Movement broke no law by contesting the sitting president, Baba Jamal said the decision was born of �misplaced ambitions�. He said Mrs Rawlings should have accorded the president the respect, and fairness, deference that were accorded her husband when nobody in the party challenged him and allowed him to run two consecutive terms as presidential candidate. He rejected arguments that the former First Lady has no time on her side citing Senegalese president Abdulai Wade who is 84. �I think that she could have waited because she is in her sixties and we have Wade in Senegal who is 84 and he is going again so you see there could have still been time for her. But as I said she has not broken any law. She is free as an individual to contest and we can�t take away that right from her but if you ask my personal opinion, I think that it is out of misplaced ambitions,� he stated quite ambivalently. On the congress itself, the Deputy Information Minister said all was set for the biggest congress of the party. He said the July congress was big because it was the first time the NDC was electing a presidential candidate while in power. To that extent, organisers of the primary, he conceded, were justifiably jittery. As a result of this, organisers were determined to prevent any mishap. They therefore have put in place measures to ensure all goes peacefully. Baba Jamal said only accredited delegates and media personnel would be allowed into the congress grounds. But in recognition of the fact that many party faithfuls would like to attend the historic congress, a fun park had been created where there would be lots to eat and drink. The Communications Director of the NDC, Mr James Asante, speaking on the same programme, said the fun park is to ensure that nobody is left out of the fun. He encouraged all party lovers to converge at the fun park for there would be a lot of fun there.