Rawlings Avoids Kwesi Botchwey Again

Despite several attempts to arrange a meeting between NDC Presidential aspirant, Dr Kwesi Botchwey and ex-President Rawlings, the latter has adopted different strategies to botch the long expected encounter. The latest in such attempts is a meeting that was scheduled to have been held at the offices of the former President which was rather held at the residence of Mr. Harry Sawyerr at Labone, Accra.

According to The Independent, it is in possession of a letter dated December 2, 2002 duly signed by NDC General Secretary, Dr Josiah Aryeh and addressed to Dr Kwesi Botchwey.

The letter titled "Meeting with Council of Elders" reads

I wish to invite you a meeting proposed by the Council of Elders at the office of the former President on Tuesday December 3, 2002 at 9.00am. The letter said “the purpose of the meeting is to facilitate harmonious relationships between key members of the party.”

The paper quotes reliable sources at the NDC headquarters as saying that that Rawlings had made it categorically clear that he was not going to meet Kwesi Botchwey because he was scheduled to travel outside the country and return on 18th December, three clear days to the December 21 congress.

Our sources said the decision shocked them, as Rawlings is the Chairman of the NDC’s Council of Elders that took the decision of the proposed meeting.

The Independent said it also found that former President Rawlings spun the yarn of purported travel just to avoid making eye contact with the show boy from Agona Asafo. The meeting eventually came off at veteran Harry Sawyerr’s residence with other NDC Council of elders like Justice D. F. Annan, Dr (Mrs) Mary Grant and Mr. Harry Sawyerr in attendance. Details of the said meeting have not been made public.

Despite several attempts to arrange a meeting between NDC Presidential aspirant, Dr Kwesi Botchwey and ex-President Rawlings, the latter has adopted different strategies to botch the long expected encounter. The latest in such attempts is a meeting that was scheduled to have been held at the offices of the former President which was rather held at the residence of Mr. Harry Sawyerr at Labone, Accra.

According to The Independent, it is in possession of a letter dated December 2, 2002 duly signed by NDC General Secretary, Dr Josiah Aryeh and addressed to Dr Kwesi Botchwey.

The letter titled "Meeting with Council of Elders" reads

I wish to invite you a meeting proposed by the Council of Elders at the office of the former President on Tuesday December 3, 2002 at 9.00am. The letter said “the purpose of the meeting is to facilitate harmonious relationships between key members of the party.”

The paper quotes reliable sources at the NDC headquarters as saying that that Rawlings had made it categorically clear that he was not going to meet Kwesi Botchwey because he was scheduled to travel outside the country and return on 18th December, three clear days to the December 21 congress.

Our sources said the decision shocked them, as Rawlings is the Chairman of the NDC’s Council of Elders that took the decision of the proposed meeting.

The Independent said it also found that former President Rawlings spun the yarn of purported travel just to avoid making eye contact with the show boy from Agona Asafo. The meeting eventually came off at veteran Harry Sawyerr’s residence with other NDC Council of elders like Justice D. F. Annan, Dr (Mrs) Mary Grant and Mr. Harry Sawyerr in attendance. Details of the said meeting have not been made public.