General News of Friday, 24 February 2006

Source: GNA

Minority appeal to President not sign Bill into law

Accra, Feb. 24 GNA - A Coalition of Minority Political Parties against the passage of the Representation of the People Amendment Law Bill (ROPAB) on Thursday appealed to the President to suspend his assent to the Bill while dialogue with Christian Council of Ghana (CCG) over the issue.

They said the controversial nature of the Bill calls for consensus from all sides rather than the majority bulldozing their way through Parliament with the Bill.

The Coalition made this statement when they met the leadership of the Christian Council of Ghana to explore ways of resolving the controversy over the ROPAB in Accra.

The Council for the pass two-week has been mediating between the government and the minority parties to find amicable solution to the impasse.

Mr. John Mahama, Director of Communication of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and member of the coalition said the group would hold a Caucus meeting on Friday morning and after that issue a statement as to their stands on the ROPAB issue.

He called on the Christian Council to use their good offices to prevail on President Kufuor not to sign the bill into law since the whole debate has now shifted from Parliament to the Presidency, adding that the whole matter now lies in the court of the president. The Right Reverend Dr. Paul Fynn, Chairman of the Christian Council reiterated his called on the Minority political parties to return to Parliament while the CCG dialogues with government on the issue.

He said the Council would meet the Catholic Secretariat of Ghana very soon and take a decision on the impasse, after which the group would issue a statement and declare their stand on the ROPAB. Rev. Dr. Fynn also urged the Minority political parties and government to soften their entrenched positions on the ROPAB in order to have a dialogue and consensus on the issues.

Among those present at the meeting were Dr. Kwabena Adjei, National Chairman of the NDC, Mr. Johnson Asiedu Nketsia, General Secretary of the NDC, Mr. Enoch Teye Mensah, MP for Ningo Prampram and Mr Danny Ofori-Attah, Leader of the EAGLE Party.