The Eastern Regional Minister, Emmanuel Victor Smith has stated that, the National Democratic Congress will be gambling in this year?s elections if the party presents the Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Dr Kwesi Amissah-Arthur, as its Vice Presidential candidate in this year?s elections.
According to him, the elections are too crucial for the NDC?s future for the party to present a running mate who does not have the necessary experience to mobilize grassroots support.
He said a running mate should automatically posses the qualities of a president, including the ability to bring in the necessary electoral votes to ensure victory.
[audio:http://www.adomonline.com/images/stories/audio/victor_smith_on_amissah.mp3]According to him, Dr. Amissah-Arthur may be a good administrator but he does not have the necessary campaign experience to move crowds and increase the NDC vote in this year?s election.
Mr. Victor Smith was speaking in an interview with our reporter Maxwell Kudekor in Koforidua on the nomination of the Governor of Bank of Ghana as the Vice President of the country.
The Eastern region Minister, who is also Ghana?s former Ambassador to Serbia, insists there are many competent politicians in the NDC who can better partner the President in the 2012 elections.
?I?m not comfortable, I can tell you clearly. I have made that point to leadership. Amissah-Arthur for the longer term is a weakness. It will not help us the way I see politics has been done in this country. We need somebody who will bring us a lot of votes, a person to complement the president. John Mahama has a lot of ground support but you need to partner him with another strong person who can excite people,? Victor Smith told this reporter.
?If you ask this guy (Dr Amissah-Arthur) to go I can tell you then we are gambling, then we have reached the gambling stage,? he reiterated.
?I said to myself I was not going to talk on this but I cannot continue to gamble away our party while I?m in a position to help the party, so you speak some of these things rather than keep quiet and say ?we don?t want to rock the boat? We go quiet and disaster befalls us then we say we are going to reorganize what?? Victor Smith questioned.
Without ridiculing the competence of Mr. Amissah-Arthur, he noted that, if the party wants to tap his knowledge, it would be better to keep him in office as Vice President to run government business while the president hits the campaign trail with a running mate who can pull floating voters.
Victor Smith, who was said to be in contention for the Vice Presidential slot, maintains he is not speaking out of sour grapes after he was passed over for the job.
?Someone may ask whether I?m interested in the running mate job. I may aspire high in my political career, but am not saying it should compulsorily be me. There are other people who can fix into the partnership we are looking for.?
Mr. Amissah-Arthur would be vetted in public by the Appointments Committee of Parliament on Monday, August 6 and he is highly tipped to become an automatic choice as running mate.
From: Ghana l Adom News l Maxwell Kudekor
