NPP and NDC in a vice

The Public Agenda says with only five months left for the 2000 elections, the two biggest political parties in the country, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) are ironically both faced with serious setbacks as they deal with accusations of ethnicism, favouritism and lack of internal democracy.

The paper writes that one of the most obvious and needling problems for the two parties is how and who to select as vice- presidential candidate.

The Agenda has it that two factions, supporting or opposing running mate hopefuls, Dr Obed Asamoah and Iddrisu Mahama have emerged within the ruling NDC, with the latter’s supporters arguing that the slot must go to a northerner.

The paper says, like its main rival, the NPP is also having to chew over not only who is going to pair with Kufuor, but that person’s ethnic identity as well.

According to the Agenda, some party supporters have said openly that Akan pair up for J.A. Kufuor would be equivalent to the party scoring an own goal however, the flagbearer, reportedly had come under intense pressure lately to pick Nana Akufo-Addo.