The Executive Director for African Centre for Parliamentary Affairs (ACEPA), Dr. Rasheed Draman says the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) will have a tough time in the 2024 elections if the cracks in the party are addressed urgently. This follows the resignation by the Majority leader and Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu and per reports the Effutu Member of Parliament (MP) Alexander Afenyo-Markin will take over as leader of the majority bench.
The move by the Suame MP follows a meeting with President Akufo-Addo at the Jubilee House over a seeming impasse with the executive over an attempt to make changes to the front bench of the party in Parliament.
Earlier the majority caucus led by first deputy speaker Joseph Osei-Owusu had vehemently kicked against the decision to remove Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu as majority leader.
Speaking on Starr Midday News with Naa Dedei Tettey, Dr. Draman stated that the process leading to the resignation of the Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu could have been managed better.
“If the cracks are not managed very fast it might have consequences because they don’t have much time on their hands. These are political processes and politicians, we have seen instances where they rally around each other after some bickering and so on. If it does not manage carefully particularly on the fact that the second deputy speaker, we have heard him during the press conference.
“Some people are behind him and so on. Sometimes he preside, what happened to the business of the house. What happened to the situation where it was clear and he did his best to make sure that the party’s position was upheld. Are we going to see the same thing when the Speaker is not around and he is presiding?” Dr. Draman quizzed.
He continued: “All those who are not happy during the primaries and then you add this and you want to ‘break the eight’. You need every single member at this point in reinforcing unity and not creating division. So I think that these are the things that they have to watch.”
Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/103.5FM