DR. KWESI Botchwey, the aspiring flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has taken a swipe at Mr. Spio-Garbrah, describing him as “a Latter-Day Saint”.

The former associate professor at Harvard Institute for International Development was speaking to Paul Adom Otchere on Good Evening, Ghana, on Metro TV early this week.

He was reacting to accusations from some party adherents, especially those in the Mills camp, that he abandoned the NDC midstream, and that his aspirations are attempts to reap where he has not sowed.

Dr. Botchwey observed that Spio-Garbrah, a member of the campaign team of his Botchwey’s rival, Atta Mills, is one of those who have been casting such insinuations against him, stating that Spio is one of the “Latter-Day Saints” who jumped on the bandwagon of the NDC, long after it had taken off.

“Spio-Garbrah is the last person I’ll expect to cast these aspersions on my loyalty to the party. He does not know how the party was formed. He jumped on the train long after it had left the station”, Kwesi Botchwey stated, scathingly of Spio.

He once again re-iterated his plans for the party when elected, saying that he would offer visionary leadership and exhibit open mindedness, and be his own man (independent).

He intimated that his wishes for the NDC are to see a system whereby presidential candidates and other officers are elected, and not anointed to be successors of the one leaving office, as most African leaders do, as if it is some sort of coronation (fiefdom).

This swipe was clearly directed at the Atta Mills team, in direct reference to the infamous ‘Swedru Declaration’ of 1998, when former president Rawlings unilaterally declared that Atta Mills must be the flagbearer of the party, leading to the break away and formation of the National Reform Party (NRP), led by Mr. Kwesi Botchwey’s former law student at the University of Ghana, Legon, Goosie Tanoh.

When asked about his chances against NPP’s President Kufuor, who seemed to have gained additional grounds of popularity since becoming President, as evident in his last meeting with the media, Botchwey stated that his chances are very bright.

According to him, the NPP is not unbeatable and that he does not believe Ghanaians want to continue to “hop along on the back of some weak-kneed economic agenda.”

Botchwey claimed that he has plans to offer a faster growth plan because the country is capable of growing at a faster rate.

The aspiring candidate noted that Kufuor is not invincible, and although they are friends, and he admits that he is doing a remarkable job, he has no doubt that he can debate Kufuor on ideas and programmes and prevail.

From Sekondi, Sam Mark Essien reports that, Dr. Kwesi Botchwey, one of the aspiring presidential candidate for the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has expressed optimism and confidence that he would win the flagbearership of the party’s national congress slated for December 7, 2002.

He has also made it explicitly clear that if, by any miracle, he should lose the impending election at the congress, he would stay in the country and campaign for the party to wrestle power from the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government, come election 2004.

“We should make our party more united and remain loyal to its principles and philosophy,” he intoned.

Dr. Botchwey expressed these sentiments at the inauguration of his campaign in the western region toward the upcoming NDC national congress, at Sekondi on Wednesday, where nine constituencies from Mpohor-Wassa East through Ahanta West to Jomoro, constituting the southern sector of the Western region attended in their numbers.

Asked as to his programme for western and central regions, if he should become President after the 2004 general elections, the NDC former Finance Minister responded that he would ensure that the much-needed employment would be made available to the people.

He added that with his 13 years’ experience as Finance Minister during the (P)NDC era, he knows and has worked with key personalities in various high-ranking banking institutions, including the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank (WB) as well as with very prominent business tycoons and rich persons in foreign countries who are prepared to invest in the central and western regions.

He, therefore, called for the people to lend their total support to his campaign train, because he had come to make the party more vibrant, united and progressive, all geared toward massive victory in election 2004.

On Kwesi Botchwey’s campaign team were Hon. Mike Gizo MP for Shai/Osudoku, Mrs. Tabitha Quaye, vice-chairperson for western region and some leading members of the NDC.

The campaign team of Dr. Botchwey would proceed to Bogoso in the western region where a similar rally would be held.

The Sekondi meeting was extremely successful with most of the delegates saying that the competition between Dr. Botchwey and Professor Atta Mills was going to be keen and that augurs well for the party