Former Finance Minister Prof. Kwesi Botchwey has revealed that a potpourri of bitterness, manipulations and lack of integrity in the dealings of the main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), caused the party’s defeat in the 2016 elections.

Delivering the 6th John Evans Atta Mills Commemorative Lecture at the University of Cape Coast, Central Region on Monday, 30 July on the theme: “Ethicality, Democracy and National Development: The Legacy of President Atta Mills”, the man who headed the party’s fact-finding committee for the 2016 polls, said: “Indeed, the loss of ethicality had a lot to do in the party’s defeat in 2016”.

He explained: “In the work that I chaired – thanks to the decision of the national executive to involve me in that important exercise – we identified, and the party is aware, of the incidence of observation of grievances, bitterness, over what many saw as the manipulation and breakdown of integrity in the selection of executives in the various levels of management in the party’s affairs from the branch upwards.”

Prof. Botchwey, however, said he was happy that the party appears to be working to put its house in order.

The NDC is gearing up to choose its next crop of leaders and flag bearer for the 2020 polls.

So far, former president John Mahama, Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin, former Communication Minister Ekwow Spio-Garbrah, former CEO of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) Sylvester Mensah and former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Professional Studies, Accra, Prof. Joshua Alabi, have hinted at running.