Former President Jerry John Rawlings, after playing hide-and-seek with President John Agyekum Kufuor at the Manhyia Palace in Kumasi last Sunday, said he wished he had met the President before leaving Manhyia.President Kufuor and Rawlings had separately joined thousands of people at the Manhyia Palace, the royal seat of the Asantehene, to pay homage to him while he celebrated Akwasidae and his birthday.However, the President took an early exit to embark on a three-day trip to South Africa, where he addressed the Pan African Parliament.The Daily Guide said it learnt that the former president, who arrived at the palace on time, was offered a place to wait, while President Kufuor and his entourage participated in the third Akwasidae of the year, which coincided with the 57th birthday of the Asantehene.Immediately after President Kufuor left the scene, Jerry Rawlings, clad in a white linen attire, touched down at the durbar grounds, full of smiles, with Mr. Daniel Ohene Agyekum, Ashanti Regional Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) leading his team.In the company of Mr. Victor Smith, his special aide, Mr. Rawlings was given a traditional rousing welcome amidst dancing and drumming.The NDC founder made some reconciliatory moves when he went straight to shake hands with a couple of ministers of state at the podium, who had accompanied President Kufuor to wish the Asantehene well.The usual thunderous and tumultuous reception normally accorded him at political functions was however missing.Conspicuously missing was the thrice-defeated presidential candidate for the NDC, Professor John Evans Atta Mills, who had in recent times attracted the chastisement and opprobrium of founder Jerry Rawlings.Given the opportunity to present the vote of thanks to invited guests, former President Rawlings claimed that he regretted not meeting President Kufuor.He said it would have been appropriate and interesting if he had met President Kufuor at the function.The former President, who seemed delighted to be part of the historic occasion, stole the show when he danced with a couple of invited guests, including the Netherlands Ambassador to Ghana, which attracted several rounds of applause.He told the gathering that Otumfuo Osei Tutu II had agreed to an appeal he had proposed to extend a helping hand to the victims of the recent natural disaster that hit the Northern Regional capital, Tamale.The NDC founder apologised for the inability of his wife, Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings and party's flagbearer, Prof. Mills, to attend the historic function.Though the programme was devoid of politics, bigwigs of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) who had declared their intention to contest the party's flagbearership were at the palace, dressed in rich kente cloths to pay homage to the Asantehene and to, in subtle ways, 'whisper' their presidential aspirations.Supporters of Mr. Alan Kyeremanten, Minister of Trade, Industry and PSI, took the palace by storm, in T-shirts embossed with his portrait, a development which was said to have incurred the wrath of supporters of Dr. Kwame Addo Kufuor, Defence Minister and MP for Manhyia.Unconfirmed reports indicated that but for the rapid intervention of party leaders, a nasty clash would have occurred.Among the other NPP presidential aspirants who took turns to shake hands with the Asantehene and wish him well were Nana Akufo Addo, Foreign Affairs Minister; Prof. Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, Chief Executive of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, and Hon. Yaw Osafo Maafo, MP for Oda and former Minister of Finance and Economic Planning.The rest were Hon. Hackman Owusu-Agyemang, Minister of Water Resources, Works and Housing; Hon. Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu, Finance and Economic Planning Minister; Hon. Stephen Asamoah-Boateng. Local Government and Rural Development Minister; and Hon. K.T. Hammond, deputy Energy Minister.President Kufuor was led to the Manhyia palace by the Ashanti Regional Minister, Hon. Emmanuel A. Owusu Ansah; his deputy, Hon. Osei Asibey Antwi; Ms. Patricia Appiagyei, KMA boss and a number of NPP MPs and ministers.Before the Asantehene, who was adorned in rich kente cloth and gold orna¬ments arrived at the ceremony grounds, in a palanquin, his sub chiefs had sat in state. while the tradi¬tional drums throbbed regally.Later, Otumfuo Osei Tutu danced royally to traditional music with the appropriate bodily twists.