Grand campaign launch at Cape Coast on Saturday
The largest opposition party in Ghana, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) will officially launch its campaign for the December 2004 presidential and parliamentary elections on Saturday April 17, 2004.
Come this Saturday, all roads will lead to the Central regional capital as party sources have confirmed that the party has hired hundreds of buses to cart its supporters and faithfuls from all over the country to hear its anointed leader, Professor Atta Mills launch the campaign they hope will take them back to the Castle in 2005.
What is not certain is whether Professor Mills? mentor and ?consultant? ex-president Rawlings would be there to steal the limelight. The choice of Cape Coast as the launching grounds is symbolic since Prof. Mills hails from that region. Even though the NDC lost heavily in the region in the 2000 elections, it expects a rebound this time around.
Party sources revealed that originally Prof. Mills would have been expected to name his running mate at the launch but this many probably not happen to hitches in the choice of the running mate.
Early this year, Free Press received credible information that business tycoon on Dr Obed Asamoah?s prot?g?, Baba Kamara would have the honour of partnering Prof. Mills but Kamara has allegedly flatly refused the post for personal reasons.
Prof. Mills has also personally disqualified defector Prof. Wayo Seini and asked Ghanaians to vote against him if he runs with Prof. Seini. The proposed alliance between the NDC and the budding grand coalition has also introduced new dimensions into who would run with Mills.
If the alliance becomes a reality, then the running mate would have to come the coalition stable and here there are many hopefuls. Already, the Coalition has made it plan that Mr Dan Lartey in his capacity as the chairman of the Coalition would not contest for the slot.
This leaves the choice of a running mate from either the PNC, where Dr Edward Mahama and Kofi Wayo are the front runners or from the Egle Party where Mr Danny Ofori Atta is by far the most dominant and visible candidate. But whoever Mills chooses still remains a secret.