The impasse between the Ashanti Regional Executives of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), who supported Professor Atta Mills for the flagbearership slot and those who sided with Dr. Kwesi Botchwey, has now been amicably resolved. Smoking of the peace pipe followed an exhaustive dialogue held by the Kumasi Metropolitan Co-ordinating Committee of the NDC with the opposing groups at a meeting in Kumasi on Friday.

The committee comprised all NDC executives of the six constituencies within the Kumasi metropolis. The impasse, which took the form of alleged threats and assaults directed particularly at supporters of Dr Botchwey, had the potential of nearly creating division in the party. For fear of their lives, six out of the 17 regional executives who found themselves in the camp of Dr Botchwey found it almost impossible to visit and do their work at the party office ever since the national congress was over. The six included Mr Emmanuel Nti-Fordjour, regional chairman, Sly Akakpovie, secretary, Osman Boakye, second vice-regional chairman, Miss Agatha Abrafie, regional women's organiser, Asiedu Keteke, second deputy youth organiser and Iddrisu Ahmed, deputy regional organiser.

Mr Boakye on behalf of those in the camp of Dr Botchwey, shook hands with Mr O.K. Amankwah, first vice regional chairman and representative of the executives on the side of Professor Mills and all the constituency executives present at the meeting to signal reconciliation. Mr Boakye pledged that they, in the camp of Dr. Botchwey were now poised to shun any threats and intimidations and start work immediately at the party office since a peace pipe had now been smoked. Mr Alex Sawyer Attivor, NDC constituency chairman for Asokwa West, called on the constituency executives to go down to the wards and branches and inform their constituents of the resolution of the impasse and impress on them to co-operate with all the regional executives without discrimination.

Alhaji Suleimana Gado, Asokwa East NDC constituency chairman, said now that differences at the regional party office had been resolved, members of the NDC should delve straight into campaigning for more members into the party. On his part, Mr Ben Baidu, the Metropolitan Co-ordinating Committee chairman of the NDC, lauded the opposing sides for smoking the peace pipe. Mr Baidu said the committee will serve as a watchdog to monitor and ensure that the peace now prevailing in the party does not become disrupted by detractors of the NDC.