Accra (Greater Accra) 6th Sept '99

The Convention Party has described the lease of a presidential jet as a reckless use of scarce national resources for the "comfort of those who ought to be doing something about the deplorable state of the national economy".

It said it is shocked over the lease without parliamentary approval as required by the 1992 constitution.

In a statement issued in Accra and signed by Mr Kwesi Pratt Jnr, Chairman of the Party's Publicity Committee, it said the lease is in "disregard for all the norms of prudent national administration".

Quoting Article 181(1) and (5) of the constitution, which stipulates that economic transactions, to which the government is a party, must receive parliamentary approval, the CP said "there can be no justification for the lease of the presidential jet without the scrutiny of parliament".

It said its shock is deepened by the fact that government has 133 in the 200-member parliament and "would very easily have bulldozed its way through the assembly as it has done on many occasions".

The statement said the government deliberately sidelined Parliament in the decision to lease the aircraft because of its fear of mass public protest against "its reckless dissipation of public funds".

It especially expressed concern in view of the drop in the world market price of gold and cocoa, the country's major exports and at a time that the government is reducing its responsibility for tertiary education.

The party noted that the lease of the Gulfstream 111 aircraft with the option of purchase is an indication that government will eventually buy it.

It said even Heads of State of some highly industrialised nations like Britain do not have presidential or executive jets.