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13.09.2004 Politics

Mills’ Campaign Team Thrown Out

13.09.2004 LISTEN
By The Independent

The leadership of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), The Independent can confirm, has withdrawn the reconstituted campaign team for the party's standard-bearer, Professor John Evans Atta Mills.

Party insiders hinted that, in the light of the future generated in the aftermath of the release of the expanded list of the Mills' campaign team, the best consideration possible was for the party to do a wider consultation on the issue before a final list could be released.

Key among the objections to the expanded list was a letter by the National Chairman of the NDC, Dr. Obed Asamoah. That letter which was sent to the Chairman of the Council of Elders of the NDC, Mr Harry Sawyerr, defied a directive from party founder, Flt. Lt. Rawlings, and Prof. John Evans Atta Mills for the reconstitution of the party's Co-ordination Campaign team.

In the letter, Dr. Asamoah argued among other things that he was…”greatly disappointed that some people have decided to reconstitute a body not created by them without consultation in accordance with laid down procedures and norms of democratic governance”.

One party insider however revealed that it was likely that the original team presented by the Functional Executive Committee (FEC) of the party, led by Dr. Obed Yao Asamoah would be maintained. The Independent gathered that the open defiance of some party functionaries led by Dr. Obed Asamoah to boycott a meeting convened by the head of the party's Council of Elders, Mr Harry Sawyerr, to sort out the impasse awakened the sensibilities of the Rawlings-led group.

Mr Harry Sawyerr had called that meeting to deliberate on the expanded campaign team, a reconstitution that was undertaken by the Rawlings-led group after it had tinkered with the original campaign team set up by the FEC, which is the laid down procedure.

Inside sources hinted that party functionaries who boycotted the meeting which was convened actually at the instance of party founder, Jerry John Rawlings, included some prominent members of the FEC of the NDC.

FEC members like National Chairman, Obed Asamoah; Vice National Chairman, Kweku Baah; Deputy General Secretaries, Baba Jamal and Bede Ziendeng; National Youth Organiser, Haruna Iddrisu, and, National Women's Organiser, Frances Essaim, boycotted the said meeting.

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