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Politics of Monday, 31 January 2005

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PNC, CPP want distict identity for MPs

The Convention People?s Party (CPP) and the People?s National Convention (PNC) have initiated moves to ensure that their Members of Parliament (MPs) get a distinct identity in Parliament.

This is also to avoid the situation where they have to either be with the majority party or the minority party, as is the case currently.

According to the two parties, they have met the Speaker of Parliament and they will also meet the leadership of the House to ensure that the necessary amendment is made to the standing orders to alter the prevailing arrangement.

According to Dr Somtim Tobiga, spokesperson for the PNC, said the meeting was successful and hoped that it was the harbinger of good things to come the way of the two parties, adding that the Speaker was ?amenable to the idea? and urged them to use the formal approach.

Dr Tobiga said both parties were not satisfied with the sitting arrangements in the House because it did not afford representatives of the two parties the opportunity to articulate and assert their political programme, adding that the sitting arrangements had made the MPs become subservient to the majority caucus of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

Professor Nii Noi Dowuona, general secretary to the CPP, corroborated the story of Dr. Tobiga when contacted