Congress full of intimidation

Last Saturday’s special national delegates’ congress of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) was infested with molestations, brutalities, intimidations and humiliations ever witnessed in the history of political congress in Ghana.

It became explicitly clear that it was a mirage to Obed Asamoah, Larry Adjetey, Mike Gizo and Kwesi Botchwey and their supporters, who thought that they could install internal democracy in the party.

About 1,400 party delegates throughout Ghana met at Legon, Accra, to elect a flagbearer for the year 2004 general elections. Professor Mills won by 1,116 votes whiles Dr Kwesi Botchwey trailed behind with 194 votes. Twenty-five votes were rejected.

Party members wearing Prof Mills’ T-shirts wielding clubs and rods made from bull hides (locally called koboko) beat up those perceived as “supporters of Botchwey.” You dare not chant Botchwey slogans. “If you are a supporter of Botchwey, you are NPP,” said one Botchwey supporter who, out of fear, quickly contacted a cousin at Legon for another dress.

Not even students of the University of Ghana, who wanted to campaign for Dr Botchwey, were spared the brutalities. “It started last night and this morning, we thought we could make some noise but the seriously attacked us,” said Master Victor Ayamga of C43, Commonwealth Hall. “We had to run for our dear lives,” another student said.

It was not anything less than a national rally to endorse Prof Mills’ candidature. Not a single poster of Kwesi Botchwey was sighted. Apparently, all had been removed.

Interestingly, all those wearing black T-shirts who later on handled security, both at the entrance and in the voting hall, were the very persons who in the early hours of the day beat up “Kwesi Botchwey supporters” and chased them out of the place. Deliberately, the police were asked to remain on the field.

Dr Kwesi Botchwey, his daughter, and Hon Mike Gizo, MP for Shai Osudoku, had their shares, for, they were severely heckled before they could enter. They would not allow Botchwey’s daughter to enter. He personally had to come back to fetch her from the security people.

“But for courage, Kwesi Botchwey would have resigned upon arrival at the congress grounds,” said an MP who supported him.

Chronicle pieces of information were that a number of guns were seized from the so-called security personnel. It was as if there was going to be a “coup” if Botchwey won. Former President Rawlings’ actions in no small way intimidated delegates.

Throughout the congress, he was profusely writing, intermittently wiping his face with his white towel as if he was weeping. He ruffled his hair with his hand and sometimes stood up with his mobile phone close to his ears, as if he was talking to someone.

At a point, Rawlings deliberately used his hand to stop the fast revolving blades of a ceiling fan. “It was as if he was going to commit suicide if Mills did not win,” said one NDC observer. At another time he rose up from his chair, walked straight to the microphones and rudely interrupted the electoral officer who was at the time calling the delegates to go and vote. All was because he (Rawlings) wanted to urge the people to go and vote fast.

He did all these things after refusing to address delegates when it got to his turn to do so, according to the programme. “I will not speak until after the elections when the truth prevails, then I will speak,” he said and sat down.

Most delegates interpreted his decision not to speak before voting, to mean that he was going to resign from the party, if Botchwey won. Others also though the he wanted to see the outcome of the elections so that if it went in favour of Botchwey, he would burst up and attack them.

“I was going to talk about the NPP but I have stopped,” said Rawlings after voting results had been declared and he was again called upon to address delegates.

Dr Obed Asamoah, the NDC National Chairman, was not spared at all. He was rudely interrupted in the middle of his address and this continued until he went to sit down.

People standing in the windows, some of the delegates, as well as non-delegates who, for some reasons, had been allowed to enter the hall hooted at and openly insulted him. “I will continue to hold my peace until others get matured in due course,” Obed said, as he persevered to read his address amid insults and hooting.