In early July 2000, members of the then main opposition party, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) were getting their act together in their attempt to end the 29-year-old opposition status the Danquah-Busia political tradition had been in. The crucial question then was, who the party's candidate, Mr. John Agyekum Kufuor would select as the running mate. The Daily Dispatch said on July 28, 2000, its editor, Ben Ephson, conducted an exclusive interview on guidelines which would help then candidate Kufuor and the party leadership to select a running mate. The paper recalls Mr. Kufuor then saying: "the running mate should be a presidential material who has attributes of a potential president, that is proven experience in political life and general understanding of the problems facing the country. The second and very important thing is the loyalty and commitment to the Party and the Presidential candidate to facilitate co-operation and harmonious relationship." The interview, published in the 31st July - 6th August 2000 issue of the paper also asked Mr. Kufuor what he would do if there were four candidates with equal ratings on the first two criteria. His reply, "to ensure ethnic balance to reflect the country's diverse geographical distribution, reconciliation and unification, I would take a non-Akan. Other factors include the gender and age of that person." On the anxieties then being expressed about the delay in announcing the running mate, then candidate Kufuor explained: "the party leadership and myself appreciate their anxieties but people should bear with us. We will announce the name in due course.” Source: Daily Dispatch