Rawlings Wants To Have His Cake And Still Eat It -Ben Ephson

Renowned Pollster, Ben Ephson Jnr., says former President Jerry John Rawlings� decision to support his wife, Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings, in her desire to represent breakaway political party, the National Democratic Party as its Presidential candidate, clearly indicates that the NDC Founder wants to have his cake and still eat it. Mr Ephson believes the former president is attempting to �look into a bottle with both eyes�; that is, endorse his wife�s bid for the NDP flagbearership and still have ties with the NDC. The NDC Founder on Tuesday pledged his unflinching backing for the former First Lady, if she does accept to represent the NDP as its Presidential candidate. According to Mr Rawlings, he will always support any party with a high level of credibility and integrity, �and that I know they [NDP] have but that does not mean that I don�t believe in the NDC either. But I am more in favour of parties that have high moral principles.� But speaking to the issue in an interview on Okay FM�s Ade Akye Abia Morning Show, Ben Ephson, who is also the Managing Editor of the �Daily Dispatch� newspaper, said it will come to him as a surprise should Mr Rawlings go against his much talked about political morality by mounting platforms of two different parties. �Rawlings says he is still in the NDC but he will support his wife; we are watching if he can mount NDP platform. It�s not like he is afraid to mount the platform but he talks about political morality and correctness and I will be surprised for him to mount NDP and also mount NDC an platform,� he said. He continued; �with Rawlings and the NDC, there are only three options opened to him; if he doesn�t campaign for the NDC and they loses, they will blame it on him. If he doesn�t campaign and the NDC wins, then he is totally finished so the only option for him is to campaign for the NDC so when they win, he can enjoy the victory and if they lose; then he stands proven right regarding issues he raised about the government�. In all this, the senior journalist holds Mrs Rawlings culpable for putting the husband in an extremely difficult position of choosing to support or the ruling party. �Konadu is putting Rawlings under undue amount of pressure, I am sure Rawlings is not afraid of anybody apart from God, so if he wants to support his wife and the party, he would have said so a long ago�it is just so unlike Jerry Rawlings to wait for his wife to come out and say he is behind her before he (Jerry) comes out personally to declare his support for his wife,� Ben Ephson said.