…says he is inciting “people to take up arms against EC and government”

Hon Cletus Avoka Apul, the Majority Leader in Parliament and the Leader of government business, has strongly slammed former President John Agyekum Kufuor over his comments that the Electoral Commission’s plan to create 45 new constituencies in Ghana could spark troubles ahead of the 2012 elections.

The Bawku West Member of Parliament stated that Kufuor’s comments which many political analysts said he was only doing the bid of Akufo-Addo were hypocritical and could ignite armed electoral conflict before, during or after the 2012 elections.

The MP who has the endorsement of his residents of an easy win come December 7 and one of the few MPs confident of riding safely back to parliament to help continue the NDC Better Ghana Agenda made these assessments on an interview with Citi News yesterday.

“I find the comments quite unfortunate because rather than appealing to the conscience of people to try to restrain them so we have peaceful elections, it looks like the comments rather have the effects of provoking people or asking people to take up arms against the EC and government of the day,” the majority stated.

The Majority questioned whether if it was the first time we are creating constituencies in an election year.

Hon. Avoka stated that in the year 1992 and 2004, which were election years, there were 200 and 230 constituencies respectively.

He Kufuor’s comments were a very misguided statement “from someone who is a role model, someone who we respect so much and who should be appealing to Ghanaians to exercise restraint and have confidence in the EC.”

The majority leader also described those who were raising red herrings about the NDC stampeding the process as “not doing so in good faith and are being prejudiced.”

“I am surprised that my learned friend, the former AG under the Kufuor administration, Ayikwei Otoo who was an opinion leader, could superintend over the creation of the 30 new constituencies instead of raising the red flag.”

When asked whether the legal action initiated by the former AG at the Supreme Court on the new constituencies will stop Parliament from proceeding, Mr. Avoka stated: “Certainly not. It cannot stop Parliament from considering it. Unless we have an injunction from the Supreme Court saying Parliament as an independent constitutional body should not do its work, then we wouldn’t.”