I support CPP's decision against three MPs - Bensti-Enchill

Accra, Jan. 26, GNA - Ms Araba Bensti-Enchill, First National Vice Chairman of the Convention People's Party (CPP), on Thursday pledged her full support for the disciplinary action recommended by the Central Committee against the three Members of Parliament of the Party. She said the three MPs had made public statements to the effect that the CPP leadership ought to remove itself or be removed even though their term of office expires in 2007.

A statement Ms Bensti-Enchill signed said: "Although I was not present at the Central Committee meeting which was held in Kumasi on Thursday January, 19 and Friday January 20, 2006, I am in full agreement with the decision to refer the three Members of Parliament of the Party to the Disciplinary Committee.

"I take a very serious view of the various acts of indiscipline, calculated to bring the Party into disrepute and ridicule its Leadership, which have been perpetrated by the three Members of Parliament ...."

Ms Bensti-Enchill said all three members of Parliament also openly campaigned against the Party's presidential candidate properly elected by the National Congress of the Party.

Months of strained ties between the National Executives and the three MPs erupted once again last week, with the MPs asking for the resignation of the Party's Executives.

The Central Committee has referred a motion it passed in Kumasi calling for the dismissal of the Party's three Parliamentarians to its Disciplinary Committee for the necessary action.

The Parliamentarians are: Mr Freddie Blay, Second Deputy Speaker and MP for Ellembele, Dr Paa Kwasi Nduom, MP for Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abirem and Minister of State in Charge of Public Sector Reforms, and Mr Kojo Armah, MP for Evalue-Gwira.

The MPs said an interim executive should be put in place to supervise the re-organisation of the Party.

A statement signed by the three members and read by Dr Nduom said the Leadership of the CPP had demonstrated their inability to lead the Party to achieve the objective they themselves had loudly and proudly championed.

"We have observed with deep concern and disappointment the situation of lack of effective organisation and common purpose in the CPP.

"The fact of the matter is that there is a Leadership crisis within the CPP, which has led to the Party achieving disastrous result in the December 2004 Elections."

In a reaction to the statement from the MPs, the CPP said at the meeting of the Central Committee in Kumasi, members' attention was formally drawn to a press release from the three Parliamentarians calling for the resignation of the Executives.

"After exhaustive discussions involving the review of the track record of the conduct of the Parliamentarians, members of the Central Committee were of the firm view that the three Parliamentarians deserved to be dismissed from the Party. A motion to that effect was overwhelmingly carried."

The Committee finally decided to refer the motion to the National Disciplinary Committee.

The statement said: "The CPP deems it a duty to the public that it took serious view of the various and cumulative acts of indiscipline, disloyalty, bringing the Party into disrepute, contempt and public ridicule and breaching provision of the Party's Constitution."