The Executive Director for African Centre for Parliamentary Affairs (ACEPA), Dr. Rasheed Draman has stated the removal of former Majority leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu from his position could have been done in a more democratic manner.
Speaking on Starr Midday News with Naa Dedei Tettey, Dr. Draman explained that the lawmaker was pushed out of office.
“This process could have been managed better than the way it happened, particularly look at the way we saw the reshuffle of the NDC front bunch. Let’s be clear, I think it’s not a reshuffle, it is just a way of getting rid of honorable Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu. Because he is the only one who has left the bunch. All other members are there or promoted and this is different from what we saw in the case. Where the entire leadership I think 75 percent of them were gone.
“Every party has the right to organize itself both inside and outside of Parliament, but I think it has to be done in a way that we are all comfortable that this is democratic process. There is separation, participation in decision making, we are not in dictatorship,” Dr. Draman stated.
He continued: “For somebody like the honorable Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu who has spent, I think all his career in Parliament this is not a good way to handle such an illustrious career.”
Background
Majority leader and Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu has resigned.
The move by the Suame MP follows a meeting with President Akufo-Addo at the Jubilee House over a seeming impasse with the executive over an attempt to make changes to the front bench of the party in Parliament.
Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu has however been made chairman of the Manifesto Committee of the Party.
Earlier the majority caucus led by first deputy speaker Joseph Osei-Owusu had vehemently kicked against the decision to remove Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu as majority leader.
The Bekwai MP cited the new standing orders of parliament to declare any such changes can only be made by the caucus.
Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin earlier on Wednesday however refuted the assertion of his first deputy arguing despite the definition of “Majority Leader” in the new standing orders to mean a person chosen by the majority side of the house, the party still reserves the right to determine who leads its Parliamentary wing.
This was however also rejected by the first deputy speaker Joseph Osei-Owusu.
The President consequently summoned the MPs for a meeting over the matter.
At the meeting Starr News understands the Suame MP decided to resign after realizing the party was pushing through with the changes.
Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/103.5FM
