It's A done Deal - Amissah-Arthur To Be 'Outdoored' Running Mate Today
The Council of Elders of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has approved Paa Kwesi Bekoe Amissah-Arthur, the Vice President as the running mate to President John Dramani Mahama for the 2012 election.
The approval followed his nomination by President Mahama, an unimpeachable source close to the President told graphic.com.gh.
It said with the approval of Vice-President Amissah-Arthur, all was set for him to be officially outdoored by the NDC.
The source, however, declined to say when the official outdooring would take place, but indicated that it would be pretty soon.
Mr Kwesi Bekoe Amissah-Arthur, an economist and then Governor of the Bank of Ghana, was nominated on July 31, 2012 by President John Dramani Mahama to be considered by Parliament as the Vice-President of Ghana.
Mr Amissah-Arthur’s nomination and approval by Parliament as the Vice President was in line with Article 60 (10) of the 1992 Constitution.
The nomination of Mr Amissah-Arthur followed the swearing-in of Mr Mahama as the President following the death of President John Evans Atta Mills on July 24, 2012.
Mr Mahama was sworn into office in fulfilment of Article 60 (6) of the 1992 Constitution, which states that : “Whenever the President dies, resigns, or is removed from office, the Vice President shall assume office as President for the unexpired term of office of the President with effect from the date of the death, resignation or removal of the President.”
Prior to Mr Arthur’s nomination as Vice-President, a lot of names made the rounds in the rumour mill. Prominent among the prospective candidates were renowned economist and former Minister of Finance during the Rawlings administration, Dr Kwesi Botcwey; Minister of Trade and Industry, Ms Hanna Tetteh; Mr Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, the Local Government and Rural Development Minister; Food and Agriculture Minister, Mr Kwesi Ahwoi; Mr P.V Obeng, a Presidential Advisor and Mr Henry Ford Kamel, the Volta Regional Minister.
After Mr Arthur’s nomination, there were speculations that President Mahama nominated him only to assist him complete the term of the late President Mills, and that he might nominate another person to partner him for the 2012 elections.
The source said the nomination of Vice-President Amissah-Arthur by President Mahama and his subsequent approval by the Council of Elders of the NDC had settled the matter.
Mr Amissah Arthur was said to be the late President John Evans Atta Mills preferred candidate to the Central Bank highest position because of his involvement in the team of technocrats who managed Ghana’s structural adjustment programme, which turned the country’s economic fortunes around in the 1980s.
The 61-year old’s journey with the management of the nation’s coffers started when he was the Special Assistant to the PNDC Secretary of Finance from 1983 to 1986.
When the Fourth Republican sun rose with former President Rawlings still at the helm of affairs, he was appointed the Deputy Minister of Finance from 1993 to 1997.