Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson
Parliament was abuzz with a heated debate yesterday on whether the flagbearer of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), former President John Dramani Mahama should engage in a presidential debate with Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) flagbearer.
The Majority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, urged Mahama to make himself available for a debate with Bawumia, emphasising the importance of providing electorates with facts and information to make informed decisions.
“It is important that your MPs should not just follow your flagbearer, they should encourage your flagbearer to make himself available for a debate with Dr. Bawumia,” Mr. Afenyo-Markin indicated.
He explained that the debate would make available to the electorate facts and information needed to make informed decisions.
“And I would encourage us as parliamentarians to urge upon our flagbearers to avail themselves for a debate. We need a debate.
“The way we debate in this chamber, Mr. Speaker, is very important, and this is a call I’m making as a leader of the House, that let us encourage debate so that the name-calling, the insinuation, the toxic nature of the political space could be brought down,” he noted.
However, the Minority Leader, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, flatly rejected the idea, stating that Dr. Bawumia was inexperienced and ineligible to debate Mr. Mahama.
He likened Dr. Bawumia to a “driver’s mate” who could not debate an “experienced driver” like Mr. Mahama.
Instead, Dr. Forson challenged Dr. Bawumia to debate the Minority Caucus’ spokespersons on economy and finance, saying, “Monkeys play by sizes.”
“Mr. Speaker, how can a driver’s mate debate an experienced driver? Mr. Speaker, in this House, the spokesperson for the Minority on the issues of finance is Honourable Adongo.
“The spokesperson for the Minority for the issues of the economy is Honourable Kwaku Ricketts Hagan, and the spokesperson for the budget for the Minority is Honourable Ampem Darko,” Dr. Forson asserted.
He continued, “Mr. Speaker, we all know that the Chairman of the Economic Management Team is the Vice President. So the Vice President can only debate Honourable Adongo. He should debate Honourable Adongo or debate honourable Ricketts Hagan.”
“A driver’s mate cannot debate an experienced driver. Mr. Speaker, that is the fact. So, we throw the challenge, he should debate Hon. Adongo first, Hon. Ampem second, Hon. Ricketts Hagan third before he considers debating former President John Mahama,” he argued.
The Deputy Minority Chief Whip, Ahmed Ibrahim, reinforced this stance, citing Article 111 of the Constitution, which permits the Vice President to participate in parliamentary proceedings.
He invited Dr. Bawumia to debate the Minority’s “crack team” on the economy, highlighting his role as Chairman of the Economic Management Team.
“This invitation presents an excellent opportunity and a follow up to the beat on the account for his stewardship over the last seven and a half years as Chairman of the Economic Management Team,” he stressed.
According to him, the Minority caucus has lined up a “crack team of highly knowledgeable and competent members” in Parliament to debate Dr. Bawumia, and “further expose the abysmal economic performance of his government which has completely destroyed Ghana’s economy.”
By Ernest Kofi Adu, Parliament House