The NDC Minority in Parliament has called on President Kufuor to reverse the order to retrieve all but only one of the vehicles being used by former President J.J. Rawlings in ?conformity with the letter and spirit of the constitution and the Greenstreet recommendations?.

It described the interpretation given to the Greenstreet recommendations by the NPP as simplistic and misleading. A statement signed by the Deputy Minority Whip, John Tia said ?the action of the NPP government, coming after the former President had exercised his legitimate constitutional right of free expression is dangerous for the country?s fledging democracy, especially as it seeks to gag not less a person than the former President?.

The minority says if the action is allowed, then sooner than later, nobody in the country can comment on the NPP government?s policies, programmes and actions and the government would become dictatorial. The statement asked the NPP government to consider all aspects of the Greenstreet recommendation and not base it only on one of the many retirement benefits due the former President.

It mentioned other recommendations made by the Greenstreet report as the provision of a fully equipped office and 24-hour personal security for the ex-President himself and another for his house. ?The minority contended that a fully equipped office befitting the status of former President cannot be complete without any means of transport attached to it. Neither can the former President be given personal security guard without any means of transport?.

The group urged the NPP government to implement the full contents of the Greenstreet Report on the retirement benefits for ex-Presidents and stop putting undue emphasis on the cars, reminding government that it will be acting in contravention of Art 68(9) of the 1992 constitution if it varies the facilities that the ex-President is already enjoying.