The Minority Chief Whip, Alhaji Mohammed-Mubarak Muntaka, has described as inaccurate assertion by the Majority Leader intended to under-rate the intelligence of National Democratic Congress (NDC) Members of Parliament (MPs).
He said since Osei-Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, MP for Suame in the Ashanti Region,needed the support and assistance of the opposition in Parliament to ensure smooth operation of the Executive, he must not be heard raising certain issues that under-rate the intelligence of NDC MPs.
“When you are the leader of the House, you don’t raise certain issues because what you say and do will force people to make up their minds and when you now need them to push government business, it becomes difficult so you must be circumspect in some of your utterances.
“You may have your view, but if it were me, I wouldn’t say them in the public domain. I may have it as a view sitting in Parliament but because I am Majority Leader who wants government business to run in the House, I will not be the one saying them,” Alhaji Muntakasaid.
His comments come after Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu stated recent conducts by the Minority in the 8th Parliament showed the NDC legislators had been brainwashed and not informed on some Parliamentary practices.
According to him, although he sought to work with the Minority due to numbers of each Caucus in the House, their actions appeared to suggest they arean “obstructionist opposition party”.
But Alhaji Muntaka described as unfortunate and inaccurate utterances of Majority leader which smacked of lack of leadership for somebody whose side needed to build consensus to drive government business.
“But me (sic) disagreeing with him doesn’t give him the right to say we have been brainwashed because that is my understanding, [and] I am pursuing it. I am also using same rules, for him to say Minority MPs have been brainwashed.It is unfortunate and it doesn’t help in consensus building,” Alhaji Muntakasaid.
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, who is the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs,also accused the Speaker, Alban Bagbin, of turning the House into an enclave for NDCfor selecting too many members of the NDC to his office as advisers.
Reacting, Alhaji Muntakainsisted thatthe Majority Leader’s assertion was inaccurate because standing orders of Parliament made it impossible for any Speaker to advance any political interests. –myjoyonline.com
