John Dramani Mahama
Former President John Dramani Mahama has jumped into the defense of the Minority Members of Parliament who recently attacked the First Deputy Speaker, Joseph Osei Owusu, describing the incident and action taken by the NDC MPs before the house went on recess for Christmas as a “fight for democracy”.
According to the former President, “There is a lot that is happening in this country that if we don’t intervene, it would upset our democracy. The Fourth Republic has been the most enduring and we must protect it”.
The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) MPs last year engaged in Free for All Fight in the chamber on what they say was an unconstitutional action by the First Deputy Speaker, claiming that it was contrary to the Standing Orders of the House, during the debate and voting on the government’s Electronic Transactions Tax (E-Levy).
The NDC General Secretary, also a Parliamentary Service Board member, Johnson Asiedu Nketia has also urged the Minority Group to always fight the First Deputy Speaker whenever he takes his constitutional rights on the floor of Parliament.
Mr. Mahama speaking during a meeting with the Leadership of the various church groups and associations in his office in Accra, told the Christian leaders that the resistance by the Minority Group, which led to the brawl was a fight for democracy, and to prevent unconstitutionality.
Mr. Mahama told the church leaders, who said they were on a “peace mission” to find a resolution to “what is happening to us in our country”, that Ghanaians have made it clear that they do not want the E-Levy, and the Minority Group’s push back is a reflection of what the people want.
Peace Mission
The church Members led by the Most Reverend Paul K. Boafo, Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church, told Mr. Mahama that they were on a peace mission.
The Methodist Bishop who was preaching Peace to the Former President, to called on the Minority Group to order in Parliament stated that “We have come as heads of churches of the various associations and groupings in Ghana. As major stakeholders, when things become of concern, we are all to take it up and see how best we can find answers and resolutions…”
He explained that “Getting to the last quarter of last year, we all experienced what our country has never experienced before. It came to the hilt when they were about closing with the introduction of the budget and E-levy and what went on the last day of parliament where exchanges resulting in some fight and all that.
The churches of the Christian bodies became alarmed and we said we will not sit…”
More Violence
But the former President in response said “that fight was a fight for democracy. There is no way a Speaker can sit in the chair, relinquish the chair, let somebody else come and sit in it and take a vote in something that he has presided over. The constitution is clear”
thatvčhe former President disagreed with suggestions that the Minority should have allowed the process to continue and prevent the fracas.
“It was felt that our MPs should sit timidly and let them pass this unconstitutionality. It won’t happen”, he stressed.
– BY Daniel Bampoe