General News of Wednesday, 22 February 2006

Source: jfm

Govt Is Not Moved By ROPAB Demo

The minister of information, Dan Botwe, says the opposition inspired demonstrations against the Representation of the People Amendment Bill does not move government. Mr. Botwe was speaking to newsmen in reaction to the second demonstration today led by the opposition parties.

The minister reiterated government?s position that the controversy over the bill ought to be resolved by Parliament and not through acts of intimidation. ?People have gone round the country and have solicited a memoranda from various sections of the public. People have made submission to Parliament; Parliament too has collated views throughout the country and has even gone outside Ghana.

So there is absolutely nothing new. So Parliament after satisfying themselves with all the comments that people have made, put a report together for debate and I want to believe that, that is how the process is and that is how laws are passed. There is no truth to the fact that a lot of people are against this law, nobody had done any census, the fact that some people are demonstrating does not mean people are against the law,? he said.

Tuesday?s demonstration in the streets of Accra drew a large number of people in thousands similar to last week?s event. The demonstrators, most of them clad in red shirts and armbands, began marching from the Kwame Nkrumah Circle and headed for the Accra Sports Stadium. According to an agreement reached with the police, a delegation of the demonstrators will march on to the Osu Castle to present a petition to the president.