Despite persistent denials by the leadership of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) that both camps that contested last year’s congress to elect the party flagbearer have joined forces to battle the NPP in the 2004 elections, it appears that the pro-Botchwey camp would be sidelined after all.

Sources at the Atta Mills campaign secretariat have confirmed that, the party's flagbearer and his campaign team have started work on the ground without really involving party leaders who openly supported Dr. Kwesi Botchwey against Professor Atta-Mills.

"It would be chaotic if not dangerous to involve those from Dr. Botchwey's camp in our campaign plans, because it is obvious they don't have faith in Atta-Mills winning" the source emphasized.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, our highly placed source explained that even though the former vice President has stated his willingness to work with those from the Botchwey camp, his campaign team led by Mr. Danny Annan, an International Marketing Consultant, would not be comfortable working closely with them for fear of betrayal.

The NDC's National Youth Organiser, Mr. Iddrisu Haruna who actually proposed the Kwesi Botchwey challenge over Mills, insisted that, there was no way they will be sidelined.

"It is not true". We are still loyal to the whole NDC and its flagbearer and would support them, he stressed several times in the interview.

Mr. Iddrisu Haruna confirmed that indeed he proposed Dr. Kwesi Botchway's candidature over Prof. Mills and even travelled round the country to campaign with Dr. Botchwey.

He maintained that he and others who opposed the Atta-Mills candidature in favour of Dr. Kwesi Botchwey are still loyal to the party and would campaign together with the flagbearer and the party leadership to annex power, come the 2004 elections.

Also, there is the Rawlings factor. Though the former vice President has always stated he will work with Dr. Botchwey to annex power in next year's election, one issue that had been downplayed in recent times is the role of Rawlings in the campaign.

The former President on June 4th this year sounded a caution to party followers when he once again teased Dr. Botchwey, that his successor and now prison inmate, Mr. Kwame Peprah did better as Finance Minister.

Ex-President Rawlings, who was addressing Cadres of the June 4th revolution in Accra, briefly touched on the infamous Quality Grain scandal that had nothing to do with Dr. Botchwey, but in his usual style ended up saying "Peprah did better than Dr. Botchwey". For whatever reasons, the former President is refusing to appreciate anything about his former finance Minister. The question is whether they would be able to co-exist and campaign together for the party's interest.