NDC congress slated for April

Ghana’s main opposition party, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) goes to congress April 26 to elect new executives to run the affairs of the party and prepare it for the 2004 general elections.

After intense and often heated debates amongst rival factions, the party has agreed to set the 26-28 April as the dates for its delegates congress at the Trade Fair site in Accra instead of the Great Hall of the University of Ghana, the original venue for the congress.

“The Independent” reports that credible sources within the NDC say the NDC has paid nine million cedis for the new venue.

“Reports reaching the Independent say whilst supporters of former president Rawlings insisted that the congress should be postponed in order to finish all arrangements, other stakeholders, especially the recently elected Regional Chairmen opposed the postponement option and insisted on the scheduled dates for the congress.”

According to the reports, pro-Rawlings elements disagree with the shift in venue and insisted on postponement of the congress to July by which time the University would have vacated.

However, the regional chairmen argue that the current leadership of the party is only transient with their respective roles ending on the day congress, whist they, the new regional chairmen have the next four years according to the NDC constitution to be part of the decision making apparatus of the party.

Inside sources at one of NDC’s pre-congress meetings say he argument of the chairmen prevailed, thus paving the way for the new date for the congress.

“The Independent discovered from its investigations that the insistence by the pro-Rawlings group to postpone the congress was a decoy to buy time to finish their campaign agenda which is believed to have been botched by many revelations in the media in recent times.

With the first option ion its strategy torpedoed by the Regional Chairmen of the party, this paper gathered that the Rawlings men have moved into top gear with series of meetings at Prampram in the Ningo district and Madina, near Accra.

Our sources at these meetings told us that one of the major decisions taken t one of these meetings was the urgent need to derail the chairmanship bid of Dr. Obed Asamoah on account of alleged misappropriation of the party’s funds,” the Independent said.

The paper alleged that the chairman of the NDC publicity committee, Ekwow Spio-Garbrah, read most of the charges. “However, this paper learnt that Spio-Garbrah did not have it rosy this time round as some of the youth especially those from Nima opposed him vehemently when he raised the allegations.”

Another weapon in the Rawlings arsenal, according to the paper is the burning desire of the former president to minimize Dr. Asamoah’s powers in the event that he (Asamoah) wins the chairmanship slot.

Interestingly, the man being touted as the possible treat to the Obed Asamoah bid – Alhaji Mahama Iddrisu is being talked to by former president Rawlings to step down for a firebrand to contest the former Attorney-General, the Independent alleges. Mr. Spio-Garbrah is said to be the preferred man.