Accra, Monday October 23 (DPA) - The deep rivalry between Ghana's President John Agyekum Kufuor and former President Jerry John Rawlings reached a new level with Kufuor accusing his predecessor of seeking to overthrow his government, reports said Monday.

Kufuor claimed that Rawlings had sought the assistance of the president of an oil-rich country to overthrow him during a bye- election rally in his home region of Ashanti, 320 kilometres north of Accra on Sunday.

Kufuor did not name the country, but pro-government newspapers had claimed over the past week or so that Rawlings had appealed to Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez for assistance to overthrow Kufuor.

Kufuor told supporters of his New Patriotic Party that his government had credible information that Rawlings had told the president of the oil-rich country that Ghanaians were fed up with his administration and wanted it overthrown.

He said Rawlings was therefore seeking assistance to overthrow the government.

Kufuor did not say whether Rawlings had received any assistance.

The relationship between the two men has never been cordial. Rawlings has persistently accused Kufuor's government of corruption and incompetence, while Kufuor has accused Rawlings of gross human rights abuses, corruption and bad economic management.

Rawlings, who staged two successful coups in Ghana country and won two elections in his 19-year rule, bowed out of power in January 2001.

He handed over to Kufuor who defeated his chosen successor, former vice-president John Evans Atta Mills, in December 2000.