Kwesi Botchwey committee calls for truce in NDC

The Kwesi Botchwey committee unveiled by the leadership of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to investigate the cause of the party’s defeat in the 2016 polls has called for a truce after weeks of bickering and mudslinging.

“The NDC Election Review Committee (ERC) has noted with some regret that a number of Party functionaries and leading party members have lately take to media houses to air their views on party matters, including matters that the Committee was set up to investigate, namely the causes of the party’s electoral defeat,” the chairman of the committee. Dr Kwesi Botchwey, said in a statement.

He urged party members to stop engaging in on-air recriminations and finger point, saying it has the potential to discredit the committee’s work. “The Committee would like to urge party members to resist the temptation to engaging in recriminations and finger pointing, so as not to undermine the integrity of the committee’s final report and recommendations, sour the atmosphere for the conduct of the committee’s work.”

He further added that “The committee’s doors are open and we urge all party members who have issues to raise or concerns to express to direct them to the committee to help the search for solutions to the challenges confronting the party.”

The statement follows weeks of on-air mudslinging, finger pointing and accusations about how the 2016 campaign was prosecuted.

The Botchwey Committee was set up to offer party members the opportunity to give reasons for the party’s defeat.

But many say they are not allowed to speak during the committee’s sitting, resulting in the current civil war.

The 2016 campaign coordinator and National Organiser of the NDC, Kofi Adams, is accused of igniting the confusion in the party when he suggested that ex-president Mahama should be made the party’s candidate for the 2020 elections.