Former president and founder of the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC), Jerry John Rawlings, has admonished members of his party to exercise restraint in the face of criticisms.<\/p>\n
According to him, since it is an election year, opposition parties in particular may want to capitalize on the weaknesses of the incumbent party for political gains, and in the process make assertions which may not be palatable to government.<\/p>\n
Tempers may rise<\/strong><\/p>\n He said in such situations \u201ctempers may rise and angry words exchanged, but the NDC must not allow its desire to stay in power compel its leaders at various levels to descend into the gutters and contribute to an atmosphere of insecurity.\u201d<\/p>\n [contextly_sidebar id=”gFmv2Zed9GILmSJ8LQOOLpwjIb1jLpp2″]Former president Rawlings was speaking at the commemoration of the NDC\u2019s 24th<\/sup> anniversary.<\/p>\n \u201c2016 is an election year and the media is awash with political rhetoric. Naturally the incumbent government must be feeling the heat of the criticism, being the party facing critical assessment from the electorate including me, and an opposition feeling justified and hungry to unseat the NDC.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe have to accept criticism in good faith and recognize the fact that criticism is the best form of praise. It offers you an opportunity to assess your weakness and better appreciate how others perceive you.\u201d<\/p>\n Unpardonable<\/b>\u00a0contradictory statements\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Former president Rawlings also warned the NDC to desist from making contradictory statements when responding to criticisms saying such things are \u201cunpardonable.\u201d<\/p>\n Rawlings also called on the party leadership to consult widely before making decisions to ensure participatory democracy.<\/p>\n \u201cI implore party leaders at all levels to also endeavor to consult members on all decision-making processes to ensure true participatory democracy, the bedrock of the NDC.\u201d<\/p>\n