"NPP's hands are tied" -Esseku

NEW PATRIOTIC Party (NPP) Chairman, Mr. Haruna Esseku, has said that his party’s desire to fully politicise the District Assembly system is being thwarted by its inadequate majority in Parliament.

Speaking at a roundtable discussion on the recently concluded District Assembly election in Accra, he said the party would wait till 2005 after it had increased its majority in Parliament to introduce a bill that would allow political parties to back aspiring assemblymen.

“I can confess that it has been high on our bill, which we’re planning to do, but due to our representation in Parliament, our hands are tied at our back. By 2005 when we have chalked massive success and a much bigger representation in Parliament, that law will surely be passed”, he assured. The NPP chairman believed that the non-involvement of political parties in the recent district assembly elections led to the apathy that resulted in low turnout and poor managerial tendencies.

Haruna, however, made it clear that there is no way an elected assemblyman can perform, looking at the 88 functions he is expected to perform. In reaction to the issue, Hon. Ofosu Ampofo of NDC stated that “I wouldn’t know what this country would be plunged into if party politics should be introduced into district level elections.

He believed that the moment party politics became part and parcel of the district elections it would mark the beginning of apathy, disunity among other evils.

Ampofo made it clear that it was not the introduction of parties that would solve the apathy of voters but thorough education and reappraisal of the structure of the district elections.

He said that the statistics of voter turnout from 1998 when it was 59 per cent shows that the interest is there and the best approach is to solve the problem of under-resourcing of the electoral commission.

‘We have enjoyed serene atmosphere since 1988 district elections, why do we want to mar it?

He said it was about time an assemblyman was paid very well to match his output and the ?600,000 salary payment will not help to boost the morale of the assemblyman.