<<Print>>

The much-anticipated Special Delegates Congress of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), where President John Dramani Mahama is expected to be endorsed by delegates as the flagbearer for the December elections, is currently underway. The congress, which became necessary following the death of President John Evans Atta Mills (July 24), who was the NDCs flagbearer, is taking place at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium in Kumasi in the Ashanti Region, the stronghold of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP). There is a giant billboard of President Mahama with the inscription � Working For You, welcoming everyone to the stadium. President Mahama is the only candidate vying for the flagbearership position after he was nominated by the National Executive Committee of the party a few days into his role as president. Following the death of President Mills and subsequent swearing in of Mr Mahama as President, the NEC, acknowledged him as leader of the party, but as per demands of the NDC constitution, he had to officially file his nomination and present himself for selection by a special delegates� Congress. Hence, the need for today�s function. His selection will be by a secret ballot of some 2000 delegates from across the country who are already seated at the congress grounds. NDC Founder, Flt. Lt. Jerry John Rawlings, has also arrived at the venue to a tumultuous welcome. Peacefmonline.com can confirm that delegates could not hold their joy as Mr. Rawlings entered the inner perimeter of the Sports Stadium which has been branded with party colours. His arrival was followed by that of the Vice-President of Ghana, Mr. Paa Kwesi Amissah-Arthur, who was seen waving enthusiastically to the crowd. President John Mahama also arrived to rousing welcome from delegates and executives of the NDC. Both the President and his Vice, are dressed in the funeral cloth of the late President John Mills. A team of reporters drawn from Peace FM (Accra) and Hello FM (Kumasi) who are at the congress grounds say there is brisk on-going business at the main entrance involving the sale of party paraphernalia. According to our reporters, the congress grounds is awashed with red, black, green and white colours of the NDC with the party�s flag and buntings spread all over the stadium and its immediate surroundings. The scoreboard at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium is draped with a banner which has a beautiful picture of the late President embracing President Mahama with the inscription � �A Better Ghana � Still Pursuing The Vision.� Welcome to our live updates from the grounds.....