Chapter 6 supporters that their every action is tainted with it, and they utilize all manner of fair or foul means to make sure their parochial interests are met, regardless of the possible outcomes. It is also important to note that electoral violence not only targets party supporters, but also electoral officers, journalists and social and security analysts(Aning and Lartey, 2008). Ayee(2002; 163) and Lindberg(2003) write that political parties in Ghana regard service in government as a means of building a network of patronage to further their political ambition. In the 1996 elections, sitting MPs of the NDC were deselected in favour of wealthy aspirants whose personal record and or credentials were questionable 71 (Nugent, 1999). President Mills also felt the sting of party supporters in the early stages of his tenure while contending with the overwhelming task of fulfilling at least some of his campaign promises 72 while simultaneously steering the country through the global economic crisis. His work was compounded when some NDC supporters, with the backing of Rawlings, began complaining about the President's inability to fulfil his promises or'support those who supported him'(Nyame, 2011). This is a clear reference to the patronage networks that continue to underpin Ghanaian politics. This gave birth to the phenomenon of what has become known as'footsoldiers', some of whom went on a rampage and seized public places of convenience, took over the offices of the National Health Insurance Scheme(NHIS) and National Youth Employment Programme(NYEP), as well as the buses of the Metro Mass Transit Ltd. Additionally, footsoldiers successfully engineered the removal 71 In one instance, the winning candidate had just been removed from his job at the Ghana Water and Sewerage Company following complaints of poor performance by then president Rawlings himself(Daily Graphic, 13 August 1996, p.13) 72 President Mills had stated on the campaign trail in 2008 that among other things, he would create a one-time premium for the NHIS, and bring the killers of the Ya-Na(Overlord of the Dagbon Traditional Area, Northern Ghana) to book. 196