Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, Majority Leader and Minister for Parliamentary Affairs has berated the Minority and the opposition NDC over claims the Electoral Commission connived with the NPP to rig the elections in favour of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
The NDC has rejected the declaration of Akufo-Addo as President elect in the just ended polls. The NDC maintains the elections were rigged.
In his welcome address on the floor, Minority Leader Haruna Iddrisu condemned the moves by government to annex seats won by the NDC through brute force leading to some deaths. The Tamale South MP served notice such attempts will be resisted fiercely.
But in a reaction the Suame MP Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu dared the NDC to provide evidence for their claims. According to him, failure on the part of the party to back their claim with any evidence can only mean the results declared by the EC are genuine.
Speaker of Parliament, Prof. Aaron Mike Oquaye on his part charged members to discharge their duties diligently. He added that President Akufo-Addo in accordance with Article 67 of the 1992 constitution will deliver an address on the state of the nation prior to the dissolution of the 7th Parliament.
Meanwhile, the minority has vowed to physically carry themselves as majority in the 8th parliament regardless of number of seats given to the NDC by the EC.
The NDC MPs are laying claim of at least 138 seats including that of the controversial Techiman South which will then leave the NPP with 136 and 1 independent.
Samuel Okudzeto, North Tongu MP, clad in black as his other colleagues in mourning what they term death of the country’s democracy disclosed the NDC already has a list of persons to occupy various leadership roles including the Speakership.
His colleague from Ajumako Enyian Asiam and ranking member for the finance committee Cassiel Ato Forson argued an NDC led majority in the legislature will work with the Executive to ensure smooth running of the affairs of the state.
He, however, served a caution any attempt to take the majority from the NDC will be resisted.
Meanwhile, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu has said that the New Patriotic Party did not expect a massive erosion of its seats in Parliament.
To have climbed down further “was something we did not envisage,” the Majority Leader said in an interview.
The Electoral Commission so far says the NPP has 137 parliamentary seats ahead of the National Democratic Congress which has won 136 seats with one constituency pending.
In addition, there is one independent candidate who made it to Parliament.
Mr. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu further admitted that lack of a comprehensive Majority “is going to make the work herculean.”
But on the brighter side, Mr. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu said the near-even split in Parliament would foster better cooperation between parties.
“It also would mean that government would have to be much more consultative and reach out to the opposition much better we are used to and that could deepen democracy if we allow that to happen.”
On the selection of a Speaker of Parliament, he said his side of the House could work with an NDC-endorsed Speaker who wasn’t extremely partisan.
“We may have a Speaker come from the opposition party who really is for the good of democratic governance, and we could live with that. But if we have a Speaker who is entrenched on his own party line, it becomes difficult to run a government.”
Source: Mybrytfmonline.com
