The Member of Parliament for the Klottey Korley constituency, Dr. Zanetor Rawlings, has debunked allegations that she is living on her parent’s past glory.
The MP and daughter of former president Jerry John Rawlings and former first lady, Nana Naana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings, said she was brought up to be her own person.
“I was raised not to rely on my parents’ achievements to make it through life. I did a lot of work” the medical doctor turned politician said.
Her father, Jerry John Rawlings was Ghana’s president for 19-years, from 1981 to 2001.
He led a military junta from 1981 to 1992, and then served two terms as the democratically elected President.
Zanetor’s mother, Nana Koandu, regarded as the ”Iron Lady’ of Ghana politics cut her political teeth while massing up thousands of Ghanaian women behind her husband during the days of the revolution and the aftermath.
Mrs Agyeman-Rawlings’ well-oil 31st December Women’s Movement became the vehicle for socio-political mobilisation for the NDC’s cause until she bid the party farewell in 2012 to form the National Democratic Party, on which ticket she contested the 2016 elections.
Dispelling notion that her father’s influence and charisma won her the Klottey Korley seat in 2012, she said “…we really combed through the constituency; we went from house to house literally. It wasn’t something that happened, it took a lot of hard work and a lot of teamwork and shared vision”,
According to her, she had a strong campaign team that worked tirelessly until they won the election.
Dr. Rawlings, however, did not discount the impact of her parents on her chances of becoming the legislator for the area.
“I can’t discard the influence of my background; my parents have lived in this constituency in the most of my life, but that notwithstanding I was very much aware of the dynamics on the ground,” she said on TV3’s Newday.
In a recent interview, John Rawlings said his daughter, Zanetor Rawlings had a great prospect in the country’s political sphere.
“ If evil does not triumph she has a good future in politics because she is a very dedicated and highly discipline brilliant person. Ohh! Yesterday, I saw something she had [laughs] unleashed on Twitter. I couldn’t help getting back to her and saying, you’re amazing. S
“he is sharp and I think the country needs people like that and I’m not sorry that even though she went into the medical profession, she is gone to politics to help prevent the situations that put people in the hospital.” the former President said of his only child in politics.
