Former Finance Minister, Dr. Kwesi Botchwey says efforts are being made to restore the strained relations between him and former President, Jerry Rawlings. The relationship between the two men became strained during the NDC administration, leading to Dr Botchwey’s resignation as Finance Minister. But the former Finance Minister says he left office because after serving in that capacity for 13 years, he felt physically and emotionally drained.
He accepted that the relationship between them has not been the best ever since, but was hopeful that the current efforts will yield positive results.
“Efforts are being made to repair broken relations, strained relations between me and the former President and by the way between the former President and other leading members of our party”, he noted.
Mr. Botchway was speaking at a ceremony on Saturday, to launch his campaign for the party’s Presidential candidacy. He urged the party to ride on the political sophistication of the country, exemplified by the people’s militant demands for leadership.
“There is increasing vigilance for professionalism in our party and this calls for a deepening of our democratic traditions and the democratization process within the party including the beginning of a new tradition of picking our flagbearer through open and competitive election instead of the practice common in African politics where our leaders simply appoint successors”, he added.
Introducing Dr Botchwey, the MP for Shai Osudoku, Mike Gizo, said the aspirant’s main objective was for a "cohesive and unified new NDC party including other democratic forces, which are defining and giving content to the party's social democratic policy platform".
He urged delegates to the NDC December Congress, supporters and well-wishers to join the Botchwey campaign for the realisation of the party's "New Vision, New Direction" slogan.
Squadron Leader Clend Sowu (rtd) appealed to party activists, supporters and leading members to listen to all the aspirants since "your choice of leadership for NDC and Ghana should be based on informed decision on their visions, dreams and aspirations for the party and country".
