Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin has berated the presidency for undermining democratic norms and showing contempt for the opposition by delegating just a single representative to receive their petition during the “Democracy Under Attack” demonstration.
Addressing media personnel following the handover on Thursday, the Effutu lawmaker argued that the decision ignored the high-powered opposition delegation assembled at the venue.
“With great respect to you and without prejudice to your presence, to nominate only you to come amounts to disrespecting us as a political party,” Afenyo-Markin stated.
He stressed that key figures had gathered for the presentation, including the General Secretary, the Flagbearer’s Chief of Staff, the Chairman of the Constitutional Affairs Committee, alongside parliamentary leadership and fellow MPs.
“ I’m the leader of the party in parliament, you have the General Secretary of the party here, you have the Chief of Staff of the Flagbearer, we have the Chairman of the Constitutional Affairs Committee of the party, Members of Parliament, the leadership of Parliament are all here. But to disrespect our democracy by only nominating you to come, like I said with all due deference to you, it doesn’t match. It means that the government does not even take serious grave issues before us,” he remarked.
Nevertheless, he affirmed the caucus’s steadfast commitment to democratic traditions, noting, “All the same, we are democrats and would want to respect the bonafide.”
The petition was submitted to Jubilee House as part of the Minority-led demonstration against perceived threats to the nation’s governance structure.
Presidential Staffer Nana Yaa Jantuah, who accepted the document on behalf of the administration, guaranteed the New Patriotic Party that their grievances would reach President John Mahama directly.
Expressing gratitude to the organizers for maintaining democratic channels, Ms Jantuah assured the crowd of swift delivery to the executive.
“I thank them for bringing this petition and I do assure you that it is going to get to the president and this is democracy at hand,” she remarked.
Dismissing the Minority Leader’s earlier suggestion that her sole delegation reflected poorly on the administration, Ms Jantuah stood her ground.
“I’m happy that the Hon. Minority Leader is saying that I am a nobody but I want to assure you that I’m a senior member of government and this petition will directly get to the president,” she declared.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
