Mahama to challenge Mills

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has seven months before deciding on who leads it to the next elections.

But, ?The Evening News? reports that political maneuvering has started in earnest. ?In fact, the campaign for that position took off right after the party?s delegates? congress late last month.?

Like in such political games, most of the aspirants are keeping their cards close to their chests. They are now in the period of what political analysts call, ?testing the waters.?

Professor Evans Atta Mills, the man who led the party who led the party to the last election has in his usual style, dodged the issue on several occasions. Now lecturing in a Canadian University, the tax lawyer has in interviews, neither confirmed nor denied media speculations that he will seek the mandate of the party to lead it again in 2004.

?However, his close associates keep dropping hints that come December this year, when the decision will be taken, Professor Mills will make himself available for consideration.?

The Evening News also noted that ?A favourite of the Fante confederacy in the NDC, he is also being pushed by the continuity believers, who think, the one-time IRS boss should be given another chance.?

If he decides to run (which he will do anyway) the former vice-president would not be expecting another ?Swedru declaration? which will make him an unopposed candidate.

?The Evening News can tell that Professor Mills will be given a good run for his money, if he fills the nomination form to contest the flagbearer position. Two other names, incidentally from the same camp, the Rawlings faction, are making the news. Alhaji Mahama Iddrisu, who lost to Dr. Obed Asamoah in that acrimonious fight for the chairmanship, is seriously nurturing the ambition of becoming the NDC flagbearer.

A week after his defeat, the one-time Defence Minister, threw a party at his North Kaneshie residence for those who fought for and supported his candidature.

?The Evening News gathered that the Alhaji cleverly floated the idea among those present who appeared to have bought it. Alhaji Iddrisu, according to our credible source, is basing his chances on the congress results, which saw him losing by just two votes to Dr. Asamoah. He is of the strong believe that the result is an indication of his strong popularity among party members,? said the source.

But NDC analysts say Alhaji Iddrisu came that close because of the Rawlings factor, which worked, on the minds of some of the delegates. He is not likely to get Rawlings? support, should Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings, wife of the former president, decide to join the race.

?Party insiders tell the Evening News that the president of the 31st December Women?s Movement is reviving her 2000 ambition of leading the NDC. As part of the game plan, her supporters managed to get the clause on constituency representations at congresses changed. The original clause provides for two delegates from each constituency. But that was changed to allow every constituency to select five delegates including two women.?

The idea behind the amendment cannot be lost on anybody. It is to sway the women votes to the former first lady during voting. ?Most delegates, according to our source, did not see through this and voted to change the clause.?