Political Parties that do not have representation in parliament have described the decision of the opposition NDC to boycott the Inter Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) as ‘reckless’ and ‘unwise’.
The parties have also condemned the continuous attack on them by the opposition NDC.
Addressing a press conference in Accra yesterday, Secretary General of the National Democratic Party, Alhaji Muhammed Frempong, urged the NDC “to place their wisdom gourd on their back so we can all together reach the zenith of our democracy for the peace and development of our people.”
Hypocrisy
According to the parties, the NDC’s reason for the boycott of IPAC smacks of hypocrisy.
“Among many reasons the NDC assigned to its boycott of IPAC as pronounced by NDC Director of Elections is the inequitable voting rights at IPAC debates and denigrating other parties outside parliament.
“This contradicts the tendency and attitude of the NDC in the recent past when it rallied support of other parties to advance many objectives of the NDC…The NDC enlisted the support of a Coalition called (IPRAN, Inter-Party Resistance Against New Voter Register of Ghana) featuring prominently Gyataba’s UFP, Odike’s UPP, Bernard Morna’s PNC, Ayariga’s APC, etc; and it is an open secret to all political actors who were involved and participated in several demonstrations throughout Ghana,” Alhaji Frempong said.
“Today the NDC would call other Parties worthless but it forgets that it has pulled its own archival political parties as part of its voice, namely EGLE and Reform Party.
“Not long ago the venerable Ghana Freedom Party Presidential Candidate, Madam Akua Donkor, acted as the NDC Policy oracle and was prominent in the NDC Presidential entourage to Senchi forum as well as on foreign trips which included same allied Political Party Leaders, namely, Gyataba, Akwasi Addai Odike, Bernard Morna, etc. What has changed now for this new position of seeking equity in voting at IPAC demanded by the NDC?” he questioned.
Contribution
He noted that in keeping with a sound pluralistic atmosphere, “the participation by other political parties outside parliament has been and continues to be beneficial in nurturing our multiparty participatory Democracy.”
He indicated that “even though other political parties outside Parliament may be facing dire resource challenges we have the wealth of ideas, commitment and sincerity that match or even surpasses that of the duopoly in Parliament. Indeed, it is also a known fact that we nurture and fertilize opinions of our citizenry in alternatives from which the duopoly pick a leaf or two.”
He urged the NDC not to “forget that the CPP and to some extent the PNC derived from the PNP had once formed government and been in Parliament” adding “their present situation does not diminish their intelligence and policy relevance.”
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