Former Information Minister, Stephen Asamoah Boateng, has described as “dangerous” and “disastrous”, proposals by some people within the biggest opposition party, NPP, for early presidential primaries.
He says not only is the timing wrong, but also the proposal is, according to him, a covert attempt to “stampede” dissenting voices into accepting a preconceived idea.
Mr. Asamoah Boateng, who pulled no punches in expressing his disagreement with the proposal, told XYZ Breakfast Show host, Moro Awudu, on Tuesday, September 24, 2013 that the move could be part of moves by a click within the national executive to hijack the party.
“…I can tell you [that] what they are trying to do is to take us to a special delegates conference, they would have thought their thing and then they will push it through by ‘hey hey hey this is my Kingdom shut up’ and then we go,” he said.
He warned that: “…Mind you, if we do that, huh! Master, I’m afraid there’s danger ahead of us and that was my caution to them and that’s why I even did a memo to them”.
“…I spoke to some of the elders and I said look, there’s a new thinking going on in the party office and I disagree and it will spell disaster, so I disagree with what is going on now”.
Mr. Asamoah Boateng fears implementing the proposal will entrench the phenomenon of “hero-worshipping”, “praise-singing” and “sycophancy” in the party and thereby, worsen the factionalism and rumpus in the party, and possibly lead to the hounding and ostracisation of dissenters.
“…That is danger. I’m telling you it is danger”.
According to him, “some of us have been in this party for longer. Some people say they are older, but some have been in the party for longer”.
He warned that: “…while you are pushing things down people’s throat in your own party, others who are standing outside watch you and they look at you and [wonder] if they are doing that to their own people inside there, how do I join them?”