Seventy-seven National Democratic Congress (NDC) Members of Parliament have also signed a petition to support the appointment of Dr Cassiel Ato Forson as the new Minority Leader.
TV3’s Parliamentary correspondent Komla Klutse reported that the seventy-seven opposition lawmakers believe the decision by the leadership of the NDC was a step in the right direction.
This comes just few hours after some 48 other NDC MPs have signed a petition to reject the changes to the Minority leadership made by the party.
Komla further reported that the MPs who are against the changes believe the decision is unpopular for which they want it reversed.
READ ALSO:Over 40 MPs sign petition to NDC leadership to rescind caucus shakeup
The MPs have called an emergency meeting in Parliament which the National Chairman Asiedu Nketia and the General Secretary Fifi Kwetey will be attending, Komla further reported.
Some of the NDC MPs including Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed expressed shock at the decision by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to change the party’s leadership in Parliament.
The decision was made known on Tuesday, January 24, 2023, with the Member of Parliament for Ajumako-Enyan-Essiam Constituency, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, replacing Tamale South legislator Haruna Iddrisu as Minority Leader.
Also, Ellembelle’s Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah replaced James Klutse Avedzi as Deputy Minority Leader.
Speaking on TV3‘s News 360 on Tuesday, January 24 after news on the decision broke, the Tamale Central MP said there was no consultation whatsoever with the caucus before the release.
“Every single Member of Parliament is surprised,” he said, “And I can tell you that even those who have been proposed to take leadership, some of them are surprised that such a proposal is made without even consulting them.”
He condemned the mode of communication, saying as an MP he got wind of the decision on social media like many other NDC MPs.
“That is not how things are done,” he fumed.
“The NDC is a democratic party. We have touted ourselves as the pacesetters of this democracy. The NDC gave birth to the 1992 Constitution for which reason we have all collectively agreed to chart the path of democracy.”
He, therefore, indicated that NDC should be the last to disregard democratic tenets and by making such a decision without consulting the group – or caucus – it affects, to him, smacks of disrespect.
The former Nanton MP said his experience of having been in the Sixth Parliament and even the Eighth Parliament tells him that there is active consultation between the party’s leadership and the caucus prior to such decisions.
“How do you choose leaders for a group without consulting that group?” he wondered.
“Who told you that the group will be comfortable with the people you have chosen? Now if the group were not comfortable with the people you have chosen, then that will be the beginning of a failure of that particular leadership.”
Source: 3News.com|Ghana
