General News of Friday, 3 February 2006

Source: The Statesman

NDC MP wants chaos?

NDC Member of Parliament for Sene, Felix Twumasi Appiah last Saturday went on bashing spree on an Accra based private radio station when he accused his party of being ? too responsible? in parliament reports the Statesman newspaper.

The MP wanted his party to cooperate less with the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) on matters before the House and ?punch more holes? in the government?s programmes.

He was responding to a call from the managing editor of the Insight, Kwesi Pratt, for the opposition groups to return to the streets and demonstrate against the passing of the Representation of the People?s Amendment (ROPA) Bill.

On Thursday, the Majority in Parliament won a voice vote count to push the ROPA bill beyond its second reading.

The opposition has forewarned the ruling party that if the bill is passed, there will be mayhem in the country.

The deputy Tourism minister and MP for Mfantiman West, Stephen Asamoah Boateng did not only accuse his fellow parliamentarian of showing ? an appalling contempt? for the constitutional responsibilities of an opposition party, but warned that government would do anything constitutionally possible to frustrate any attempt to throw this country into chaos and anarchy.

? That will not happen. If they want to demonstrate fine, but if they genuinely believe that to behave irresponsibly would not advance their course then I?m afraid Ghanaians must be told in no certain terms the kind of opposition we are dealing with,? he said.

? I?m flabbergasted by the fact that a fellow parliamentarian with years of experience can actually feel scandalized that his party is behaving responsibly in Parliament and must therefore beat a retreat from that,? the Mfantsmen West MP said.

Twumasi Appiah was on Saturday showing his frustration against Alban Bagbin?s leadership, of the minority lending support to rumours that that the NDC founder and others may wish to replace him with his deputy, Doe Adjaho.

Mr Pratt on the other hand accused the NDC of showing gross weakness.