Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu was pushed out in a dictatorship style – Rasheed Draman

The Executive Director of the African Centre for Parliamentary Affairs (ACEPA), Dr. Rasheed Draman, has stated that the removal of former Majority Leader Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu from his position could have been done more democratically.

Speaking on Starr Midday News with Naa Dedei Tettey, Dr. Draman explained that the lawmaker was pushed out.

"This process could have been managed better than the way it happened, particularly looking at the way we saw the reshuffle of the NDC front bench.

"Let's be clear; I think it's not a reshuffle; it is just a way of getting rid of Honourable Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu because he is the only one who has left the bench.

"All other members are there or promoted, and this is different from what we saw in the case. Where the entire leadership I think 75 percent of them were gone.

"Every party has the right to organize itself both inside and outside of Parliament, but I think it has to be done in a way that we are all comfortable, that this is a democratic process. There is separation; participation in decision-making; we are not in a dictatorship," Dr. Draman stated.

He continued: "For somebody like Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu who has spent, I think, all his career in Parliament, this is not a good way to handle such an illustrious career."

Background

Majority leader and Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu resigned following a meeting with President Akufo-Addo at the Jubilee House over a seeming impasse with the executive over an attempt to make changes to the front bench of the party in Parliament.

Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu has, however, been made chairman of the Manifesto Committee of the Party.

Earlier on, the majority caucus led by first deputy speaker Joseph Osei-Owusu had vehemently kicked against the decision to remove Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu as majority leader.

The Bekwai MP cited the new standing orders of Parliament to declare any such changes can only be made by the caucus.