NDC will split before 2004 - JH

Senior Minister, John Henry Mensah MP last Wednesday predicted the demise of the minority NDC before the 2004 general elections, unless the party looks beyond the era of Rawlings.

Mr. Mensah whose earlier pronouncement on the demise of the NDC at an NPP Congress attracted a lot of criticism from some Members of Parliament during the debate on the President’s Sessional address, neither denied nor confirmed the reports but said:

“By the time we get to the next election, we will get two parties from the NDC.”

According to the Senior Minister, the NDC is no more attractive and so those young members who joined it due to its perceived attractiveness would soon begin to leave.

Mr. Mensah who has been widely criticized by some members of the minority including Alhaji Mohammed Mumuni, for his comments on the NDC explained that, “the assertion that the NDC will break up is based on my political analysis.”

He says he supports multi-party democracy, and so will be comfortable with such other parties that may spring up from the NDC. Mr. Mensah described the NDC as “reactionary” when it was in government and impressed upon the members to look beyond the era of Rawlings to save the party from total collapse, a statement that brought the usually quite second deputy Speaker, Ken Dzirasah to his feet on a point of order, which was over ruled by the Speaker.

The Senior Minister also stirred the honet nest when he touched on the rather sensitive issue of some Volta Region chiefs claiming affiliation and swearing allegiance to the Asantehe Otumfuo Osei Tutu II.

According to Mr. Mensah, move by the chiefs is a political opportunity for MPs from both regions to bridge the gap. “It is a political opportunity and not a political affront,” he said, and appealed to members to because of the sensitivity of the matter, bend over to build bridges between the Ashantis and the people of the Volta region for the promotion of peace and unity in the country.

This brought both Hon. Kosi Kedem MP for Hohoe South and Dr. Kwabena Adjei, MP for Biakoye, all in the Volta Region to their feet in objection to the Senior Minister’s pronouncements. Dr. Adjei drew the Speaker’s attention to the sensitivity of the matter and urged him to call the Senior Minister to order. According to him, J.H. Mensah had made earlier pronouncements on the matter outside Parliament, which according to the MP had incited the Volta MPs. He added that the matter is dividing the nation.

Meanwhile, when they took turns to round off the debate on the address, both the minority and majority leaders spoke on political party lines. Minority Leader, Alban Bagbin expressed concerns about the total neglect of the Legislature by the Executive.

He said 14 months into the Kufuor administration, the Speaker of Parliament and for that matter, the head of the Legislature, which is an important arm of government, is yet to be housed, let alone the minority leader.