I'm appalled by Nov. 7 date rejection - Bernard Mornah

Chairman of the People's National Convention, (PNC) Bernard Mornah has expressed disappointment at Parliament’s rejection of November 7 as a new date for the country’s election.

According to him, after series of deliberations, everybody including the political parties agreed that based on experience and difficulties experienced in previous elections, it was expedient to change the date.

However, “our parliament says they are the exclusive body who does not want it…unfortunately our parliament did not toe the line of the people”.

Parliament rejected amendments to change the election date to November after it failed to gather 184 votes needed to effect the change. After a secret ballot, the Speaker, Edward Doe Adjaho, said Parliament was unable to obtain the 184 votes needed to pass the bill.

This rejection became obvious after the Minority signalled it would not support the Bill. According to them, they are disappointed in the sloppy way the Electoral Commission (EC) has handled it.

Speaking to this, Bernard Mornah said “the minority is to seek the nation’s interest and not the party….I think we lost a good opportunity to say that Ghana is what we have and not NPP and NDC…I am totally disappointed”.

Contributing to a panel discussion on Radio Gold, Saturday, the National Chairman of PNC wondered how the minority knew that the EC was not ready; asking “since when did the minority start working with the Electoral Commission”

“It is something that the nation wanted…then our parliament says they are the exclusive body who do not want it…unfortunately our parliament did not toe the line of the people. Whose interest is parliament representing at this hour? They say the electoral commission was not ready and the question is since when did the minority start working with the electoral commission to be able to tell the readiness of the electoral commission or otherwise…so clearly it was a partisan position and I find it very appalling…I am totally disappointed” he added.