Mills, Botchwey tango thickens

The race for the flagbearership of Ghana's main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) hit the homestretch this week as the yet-to-be announced campaign team of former Finance Minister, Dr. Kwesi Botchwey went into action to prepare for the formal launch of his bid to run on the ticket of the party to unseat incumbent president John Kufuor.

At the same time, defeated election 2000 flagbearer and former vice-president, John Evans Atta Mills who announced his candidature for the flagbearership last week, also took matters into his own hands and sought to convince floating opinion leaders within the party to back his campign, with an all-important visit to party chairman, Dr. Obed Asamoah mid-day Friday.

Not to be left behind, defeated NDC chairmanship aspirant, long time Defence Minister and former member of the NDC Council of Elders, Alhaji Mahama Iddrisu, chose to hold his cards close to his chest, leaving both the Mills/Botchwey camp guessing on his action.

Though both camps are eager for his support, Alhaji Iddrisu has kept insiders wondering whether he would really run or not. The National Concord quotes him as saying that he would announce his next line of action in due course.

Close aides say his decision would be informed by the undertakings of the two lead candidates and that Alhaji might use his support as a bargaining chip. Despite the subtle support by former president Rawlings for Mills, the team has a weak support base in the northern regions where Alhaji Iddrisu is said to be pitting his strength.

Insiders, however, say all signals point to a straight contest for the flagbearership between the Stanford University-trained former vice president Atta Mills and the Yale University-educated former finance minister, Kwesi Botchwey. The two lead candidates were mates at the University of Ghana, Legon, and were both students of party chairman, Dr. Asamoah; National Concord quotes sources as saying.

Botchwey, currently a lecturer at the prestigious Ivy League Harvard University is expected to grace the formal launch of his campaign barely a fortnight from now, insiders of his campaign team told the National Concord. He is expected in the country next week.

Incidentally, Professor Mills, who announced his candidature for the impending primaries last week, might be out of town when the former finance minister who resigned his position before he (Mills) became vice-president in 1997 arrives.

Mills left Accra Monday for a 10-day visit to Canada to wrap up what deep-throat party apparatchiks say is his last academic engagement at the University of British Columbia, Canada where he until recently, had a teaching post.

However, insiders of his campaign team say the trip is also to wind up efforts at negotiating for campaign funds for both the primaries and elections 2004 and that he would visit London as well. While Mills has already announced a campaign team led by Lawra-Nandom MP, Benjamin Kumbuor, Botchwey's arrival is expected to garrier people in the party who say a Mills candidature offers no better prospect for the 204 elections.

Already, members of Botchwey's team, which includes some high-ranking members of Parliament and a number of party officials presently on the quiet with some hobnobbing with the Mills team till his arrival, have begun deliberations on how to win the primaries.

They would not, however, go on record and are waiting to formally unveil the team on the arrival of Botchwey, which is set to brighten the race for the flagbearership. "One member of the campaign team told the Concord late Tuesday that Botchwey's intent to run on the NDC ticket is in fulfillment of the wind of democracy blowing through the party and the desire to have strong, principled and independent leadership.

Already, there are concern in the party that despite the pledge to wage clean elections by the two lead candidates, a recurrence of the acrimonious race for the chairmanship of the party in April between former president Rawlings and then candidate (but now chairman) Dr. Obed Asamoah camps, is inevitable. NDC Youth Organiser, Haruna Iddrisu however says the contest between the leading party activists would deepen democracy in the NDC".

"Competition is good. Competition is healthy". But the fear of the unknown and the possibility of an acrimonious election registered in his voice. "My only hope is that whoever emerges by the wisdom of congress will have the support of the entire membership of the party," he prayed, adding, the developments in the party are very significant in terms of the NDC's commitment to ensure that every position is contested for.

Fortunately, none of the contesting camps has started threatening doomsday should it lose the primaries yet. General Secretary Josiah Aryeh believes it will not come to that. "We will not crack down the middle".

However, insiders of his campaign team say the trip is also to wind up efforts at negotiating for campaign funds for both the primaries and elections 2004 and that he would visit London as well. While Mills has already announced a campaign team led by Lawra-Nandom MP, Benjamin Kumbuor, Botchwey's arrival is expected to garrier people in the party who say a Mills candidature offers no better prospect for the 204 elections.

Already, members of Botchwey's team, which includes some high-ranking members of Parliament and a number of party officials presently on the quiet with some hobnobbing with the Mills team till his arrival, have begun deliberations on how to win the primaries.

They would not, however, go on record and are waiting to formally unveil the team on the arrival of Botchwey, which is set to brighten the race for the flagbearership. "One member of the campaign team told the Concord late Tuesday that Botchwey's intent to run on the NDC ticket is in fulfillment of the wind of democracy blowing through the party and the desire to have strong, principled and independent leadership.

Already, there are concern in the party that despite the pledge to wage clean elections by the two lead candidates, a recurrence of the acrimonious race for the chairmanship of the party in April between former president Rawlings and then candidate (but now chairman) Dr. Obed Asamoah camps, is inevitable. NDC Youth Organiser, Haruna Iddrisu however says the contest between the leading party activists would deepen democracy in the NDC".

"Competition is good. Competition is healthy". But the fear of the unknown and the possibility of an acrimonious election registered in his voice. "My only hope is that whoever emerges by the wisdom of congress will have the support of the entire membership of the party," he prayed, adding, the developments in the party are very significant in terms of the NDC's commitment to ensure that every position is contested for.

Fortunately, none of the contesting camps has started threatening doomsday should it lose the primaries yet. General Secretary Josiah Aryeh believes it will not come to that. "We will not crack down the middle".