Majority Leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu has said the Minority had no basis for boycotting the 2020 State of the Nation Address.
Mr. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu on Eyewitness News said reasons given by the Minority for the boycott of the register was moot.
“It is their party’s position. It is their right to attend or not except that on this matter there is absolutely no basis for this conduct,” Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu said.
The Minority in giving reasons for its boycott made mention of the Electoral Commission’s plan to compile a new voters’ register.
It cited possible voter suppression in opposition strongholds as the real intention for the new Voters Register
“We cannot help but agree with the US State Department Human Rights report which has raised concerns of possible voter suppression in opposition strongholds as the real intention for the needless and wasteful New Voters Register,” the Minority stated in its report.
The Suame legislator, however, rubbished these claims, saying the National Democratic Congress, of which the Minority MPs belong to, had always insisted that the register was credible.
“In their [the NDC’s] statement, they have always insisted that the register is credible. The register that produced Mahama in 2012 and the register that produced Nana Addo in 2016 is credible so why this sudden drift?”
How did boycott occur?
Mr. Mensah-Bonsu pointed out that the idea to boycott the election was initially suggested by the NDC’s Chairman
“I had a hint yesterday that their party Chairman came to meet them and came to sell the idea to them to boycott. Well, at their own meeting they could not come to a fair conclusion because there were some that were not convinced about the reasons they had to cite to boycott.
“Up to this morning, they were not sure whether to boycott or not to boycott but I got wind of it and contacted my colleague, the Minority Leader that I had heard rumours that this was what they intended to do. I just wanted the basis for that because as far as I am concerned, there was no basis and then he said they were still doing some consultations.”
He further indicated that former President John Dramani subsequently advised members of the Minority against the boycott but they carried on after being urged by the General Secretary for the NDC, Asiedu Nketia.
“I am told subsequently the former President was engaged and he advised that boycotting in his opinion is not the best. Subsequently, the General Secretary of their party attended and urged them not to attend. That is the information that came to me.”
The post Minority’s boycott of State of the Nation Address baseless – Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu appeared first on Citinewsroom - Comprehensive News in Ghana, Current Affairs, Business News , Headlines, Ghana Sports, Entertainment, Politics, Articles, Opinions, Viral Content.
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