Minority parties reject NDC again

Ndebugri blames it on Rawlings

The four Members representing Dr. Edward Mahama's People's National Convention's (PNC) in Parliament have opted to maintain their relationship with the majority side of the House.

According to the leader of the PNC caucus, David Apasare – Bolgatanga, the party insists that for the purposes of doing business in the House, its MPs would remain on the majority side.

Even though the four members of the PNC, the three-member Convention People's Party (CPP) caucus and the one independent member should by the arrangements of the House belong to the minority side, the eight have the option to choose which side they would want to do business with. The MPs opted to do business with the ruling party; souring the number of the majority from 128 to 136. The NDC, which is the only party left on the minority benches, has 94 members.

Meanwhile, the PNC's Member for Zebila, John Ndebugri has been explaining his party's decision to continue to support the ruling party in parliament. He told the Network Herald that “historically, it is not possible for the PNC to do business with the NDC.”

Dr. Ndebugri, a veteran politician said the party cannot so soon forget the cruelty the founder of the NDC, Mr. Jerry John Rawlings meted out the to the founder of the PNC Dr. Hilla Limann, when he (Rawlings) overthrew the Limann government in 1981.

He suggested that those memories are too fresh in the minds of the current members of the PNC to allow them to do business with Rawlings's NDC. According to the now white-bearded Zebilla MP, even though the PNC might not agree with all the policies of the ruling party, it cannot also “because of the historical antecedents” support the NDC in parliament.

Dr. Ndebugri expressed the PNC's preference for an arrangement that allows them and probably the other Nkrumaist party - the CPP and the independent MP to form what he called “a third block” in the House. But “we have no choice, the arrangement is so restrictive and we have no room for a third group.”

He however gave the assurance that the PNC's relationship with the NPP in parliament would be guided first by the interest of their constituents, the interest of the nation and finally the interest of the party,” adding, “we will consider issues as they come and debate them accordingly.”

Meanwhile, the leader of the minority, Alban Bagbin has asked the MPs who have opted to go with the majority to write officially informing the House of their decision.

John Mahama (Bole/Bamboi) who supported his leader's call on the MPs to write a formal letter to the House said; “Mr. Speaker I am surprised about the decision of the PNC to be part of the majority.” He said until he sees the letter from the MPs confirming their decision, he will not believe that the PNC MPs have opted for the ruling party.

The PNC is on record to have condemned arrangements in the House that compel its MPs to support one side of the House and canvassed the position that it would want to be separate of both the NDC minority and the NPP-dominated majority. The party sees the present arrangement as a “restrictive” one that puts the party at a disadvantage.

Mr. David Apasare, the leader of the PNC caucus had criticized what he saw as marginalization of the PNC members in the last parliament during the assignment of roles and positions in the House, a situation the then minority blamed on the party's decision to support the majority.