Account of NDC Congress by Accra Mail

Professor John Evans Atta Mills at the weekend won the Presidential Candidacy of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) at the Special Delegates Congress by a land-slide.

Professor Atta Mills polled 1,116 votes against 194 votes for the former Finance Minister, Dr. Kwesi Botchwey. This is the first time after three general elections for the NDC, to elect a presidential candidate through an open democratic process. Previously, the party chose its candidates by what the leadership called popular acclamation or for Election 2000, by imposition.

The atmosphere of the congress was highly charged with the supporters of the two candidates engaging each other in scuffles and slanging bouts. The noise was so deafening that the master of ceremonies for the occasion, Mr. E.T. Mensah had a hard time trying to calm down the tension in hall. The scene outside was not different giving the overall impression that two different political parties had clashed at the same venue. Some supporters of the two candidates chanted war songs and even threw punches at each other.

Dr.Obed Asomoah, chairman of the party, was booed when he acknowledged the tension in the party and said, "Since I sought the chairmanship of the NDC I have been the subject of such vile propaganda that beats the imagination of many. Now that Dr. Botchwey is seeking the flagbearership of the Party the attacks have included him and have been intensified".

Dr. Kwesi Botchwey was the first to arrive at 10am at the Central Cafeteria, venue of the congress, in the company of a few followers including a lady introduced to the media as his first daughter, his Press Secretary, Mr. Seth Ofori Ohene and Mr. Mike Gizo, his campaign manager. When they got to the main entrance of the hall manned by not less than ten well built "Macho Men", Mr. Botchwey and his entourage were refused entry by some supporters of Professor Mills. They were insisting on having Professor Mills to be the first to enter the hall, "because Mills is the incumbent and Botchwey is the challenger".

It took the intervention of some leading members of the party seated at the high table to get Dr. Botchwey and his team to finally enter the hall and take their seats thus avoiding a "war" between the supporters of the two groups. Inside the hall itself, Dr. Botchwey and his "skeleton" team were greeted with a loud boo and some little applause from the delegates which gave a clue as to what would be the outcome of the congress.

Dr. Botchwey responded to the hostile atmosphere against him in his campaign address when he said, "It looks like some of our friends standing outside the windows do not understand what democracy means". This rather spurred the anti-Botchwey group to intensify their actions. They persistently shouted phrases like, "Ofu", "Sugar Daddy", "Apuskeleke", "NPP Man", among others.

Mr. J.J Rawlings who was expected to release another "Boom" speech at the congress, stunned his party supporters and the media by announcing that he was not going to give a speech until the final results were declared.

When he finally took the stage to give his delayed speech, Mr. Rawlings rather sounded conciliatory and appealed to the rank and file of the party to do away with bitterness and acrimony that had characterized the campaign prior to the congress.

"I do not want us to leave this place with any rancour or ill-feelings against one another. I would like us all to learn our lessons. We must unite against our common enemy, NPP".

He said, "Today begins the end of the one term presidency of Kufuor".

Rawlings however could not entirely depart from his character when he walked towards an official of the Electoral Commission (EC), and held the head of the official firmly to the microphone and instructed the official on an issue concerning voting by proxy. He barked out "Do you understand?!"

Later in the proceedings, he stood up and stopped one of the ceiling fans on top of the high table with his bare hands apparently to entertain the delegates who seemed worn out by the long period of voting.

When the ADM team covering the congress went to see Mr. Victor Smith, an aide to the Rawlingses to have an interview with the couple, Mr. Smith replied tersely, "You know they would not speak to you because of the paper you are working with".

In his victory speech, Prof. Atta-Mills called on all the party members and supporters to join forces to secure victory for the NDC in the 2004 general elections.

He said, "the members of the NDC have spoken their minds loud and clear. They have sent a message to the doubting Thomases and the NPP that we are preparing to engage in a serious battle".

"I stand for unity, truth, discipline, dedication and commitment. This phase of the struggle is over and I want everybody to come on board.

"I habour no ill-feeling against anyone even to those who do not want to accept the truth, those who wanted to stab me in the back, those who proved to be hypocrites all along. We belong to one big family."

Prof. Mills told supporters and delegates he bore no grudge against anybody in the party and appealed to all to be on deck to win the 2004 elections

He said, "we cannot do it without a single member. I ask everybody therefore to come on board".

Dr. Botchwey who conceded defeat and left swiftly after his message, promised delegates that he remained a faithful member of the party.

He said, "I pledged to you that I would do whatever I can to preserve the integrity and unity of our party".

He said to secure victory in the next general elections the party should move in unity and peace. "Let us put the past behind us and I pledge to put myself at the disposal of Mills and hope he would help me serve him and the party."

Most of the party supporters ADM spoke to expressed satisfaction with the Mills victory. They were unanimous that the victory of Dr. Botchwey "could have dismantled our party".

Now that Professor John Evans Atta-Mills has secured the candidacy, the first hurdle towards 2004 is to prove decisively that he is nobody's poodle because Mr. and Mrs. Rawlings, the real owners of NDC would still be out there pulling the strings.

Professor John Evans Atta Mills at the weekend won the Presidential Candidacy of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) at the Special Delegates Congress by a land-slide.

Professor Atta Mills polled 1,116 votes against 194 votes for the former Finance Minister, Dr. Kwesi Botchwey. This is the first time after three general elections for the NDC, to elect a presidential candidate through an open democratic process. Previously, the party chose its candidates by what the leadership called popular acclamation or for Election 2000, by imposition.

The atmosphere of the congress was highly charged with the supporters of the two candidates engaging each other in scuffles and slanging bouts. The noise was so deafening that the master of ceremonies for the occasion, Mr. E.T. Mensah had a hard time trying to calm down the tension in hall. The scene outside was not different giving the overall impression that two different political parties had clashed at the same venue. Some supporters of the two candidates chanted war songs and even threw punches at each other.

Dr.Obed Asomoah, chairman of the party, was booed when he acknowledged the tension in the party and said, "Since I sought the chairmanship of the NDC I have been the subject of such vile propaganda that beats the imagination of many. Now that Dr. Botchwey is seeking the flagbearership of the Party the attacks have included him and have been intensified".

Dr. Kwesi Botchwey was the first to arrive at 10am at the Central Cafeteria, venue of the congress, in the company of a few followers including a lady introduced to the media as his first daughter, his Press Secretary, Mr. Seth Ofori Ohene and Mr. Mike Gizo, his campaign manager. When they got to the main entrance of the hall manned by not less than ten well built "Macho Men", Mr. Botchwey and his entourage were refused entry by some supporters of Professor Mills. They were insisting on having Professor Mills to be the first to enter the hall, "because Mills is the incumbent and Botchwey is the challenger".

It took the intervention of some leading members of the party seated at the high table to get Dr. Botchwey and his team to finally enter the hall and take their seats thus avoiding a "war" between the supporters of the two groups. Inside the hall itself, Dr. Botchwey and his "skeleton" team were greeted with a loud boo and some little applause from the delegates which gave a clue as to what would be the outcome of the congress.

Dr. Botchwey responded to the hostile atmosphere against him in his campaign address when he said, "It looks like some of our friends standing outside the windows do not understand what democracy means". This rather spurred the anti-Botchwey group to intensify their actions. They persistently shouted phrases like, "Ofu", "Sugar Daddy", "Apuskeleke", "NPP Man", among others.

Mr. J.J Rawlings who was expected to release another "Boom" speech at the congress, stunned his party supporters and the media by announcing that he was not going to give a speech until the final results were declared.

When he finally took the stage to give his delayed speech, Mr. Rawlings rather sounded conciliatory and appealed to the rank and file of the party to do away with bitterness and acrimony that had characterized the campaign prior to the congress.

"I do not want us to leave this place with any rancour or ill-feelings against one another. I would like us all to learn our lessons. We must unite against our common enemy, NPP".

He said, "Today begins the end of the one term presidency of Kufuor".

Rawlings however could not entirely depart from his character when he walked towards an official of the Electoral Commission (EC), and held the head of the official firmly to the microphone and instructed the official on an issue concerning voting by proxy. He barked out "Do you understand?!"

Later in the proceedings, he stood up and stopped one of the ceiling fans on top of the high table with his bare hands apparently to entertain the delegates who seemed worn out by the long period of voting.

When the ADM team covering the congress went to see Mr. Victor Smith, an aide to the Rawlingses to have an interview with the couple, Mr. Smith replied tersely, "You know they would not speak to you because of the paper you are working with".

In his victory speech, Prof. Atta-Mills called on all the party members and supporters to join forces to secure victory for the NDC in the 2004 general elections.

He said, "the members of the NDC have spoken their minds loud and clear. They have sent a message to the doubting Thomases and the NPP that we are preparing to engage in a serious battle".

"I stand for unity, truth, discipline, dedication and commitment. This phase of the struggle is over and I want everybody to come on board.

"I habour no ill-feeling against anyone even to those who do not want to accept the truth, those who wanted to stab me in the back, those who proved to be hypocrites all along. We belong to one big family."

Prof. Mills told supporters and delegates he bore no grudge against anybody in the party and appealed to all to be on deck to win the 2004 elections

He said, "we cannot do it without a single member. I ask everybody therefore to come on board".

Dr. Botchwey who conceded defeat and left swiftly after his message, promised delegates that he remained a faithful member of the party.

He said, "I pledged to you that I would do whatever I can to preserve the integrity and unity of our party".

He said to secure victory in the next general elections the party should move in unity and peace. "Let us put the past behind us and I pledge to put myself at the disposal of Mills and hope he would help me serve him and the party."

Most of the party supporters ADM spoke to expressed satisfaction with the Mills victory. They were unanimous that the victory of Dr. Botchwey "could have dismantled our party".

Now that Professor John Evans Atta-Mills has secured the candidacy, the first hurdle towards 2004 is to prove decisively that he is nobody's poodle because Mr. and Mrs. Rawlings, the real owners of NDC would still be out there pulling the strings.