Wa (Upper West), 30th December 99 - Mr Issifu Ali, National Co-chairman of the National Democratic Congress, has debunked the notion that the First Lady, Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings, "is vying for the vice presidential slot". He told the Ghana News Agency in an interview at Wa on Tuesday that "it is all sensationalism well orchestrated by the private newspapers to know the position of the National Democratic Congress and its leaders."

He said choosing a presidential running mate in the NDC will continue to be the prerogative of the presidential candidate in consultation with party leaders.

Mr Ali said at the appropriate time, "the party will come out with an elaborate programme which will include holding constituency primaries, election of district and regional executives". He said "the holding of such primaries and choosing leaders at all levels will pave the way for the National Congress where the presidential candidate will be officially named". Reacting to allegations of how much the NDC spent on their rally at Kawokudi junction rally in Accra recently, Mr Ali, said the party is not accountable to any group of persons or individuals apart from the Electoral Commission. He said the National Reform Party which came out with a figure of 900 million cedis "has no basis and challenged them to give ample evidence to support its stand. "I wonder why people are interested in knowing how much we spent. No party has ever done that and why are they worrying us", Mr Ali queried.

He said the NDC has workable strategies to win all the seats they lost to the opposition parties in the 1996 general elections.

The Co-Chairman equated the NDC to the Oak tree, saying it "has come to grow and serve many generations and so the opponents of the tree will find it very difficult to uproot it". "Rural electrification, infrastructural development and the provision of good drinking water in the rural areas are ample exhibits for people to continue voting for us". Mr Ali said the NDC presidential candidate, Prof. J.E.A. Mills, was already known to the whole country and does not need any introduction.