General News of 2013-02-26

NPP MP's walkouts illogical - Pianim

An elder statesman, Mr Kwame Pianim has described the boycott and walkout of Parliamentary events by Members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the wake of the Supreme Court election petition as not logical and consistent.

He argued that the party was heading the wrong direction.

The party’s presidential candidate for 2012 elections, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and his running mate, Dr Mahamadu Bawaumia as well as the party’s chairman, Jake Obetsebi Lamptey have filed a petition at the Supreme Court challenging the declaration of President John Mahama as winner of the elections.

Consequently, the party together with its Members of Parliament boycotted President Mahama’s swearing in ceremony on January 7, 2013 and have stayed away from Parliament’s Appointment Vetting Committee that have been scrutinising the president’s Ministerial appointees.

Just last Thursday, they walked out of Parliament during President Mahama’s maiden State of the Nation address

The NPP have argued that their patronage of President Mahama could be seen as they “legitimizing” his presidency which they are challenging in court.

But in an interview with Accra based radio station, Joy FM, Mr Pianim an outspoken politician, business economist and investment consultant said it was not for the NPP to legitimize a president.

“It is not NPP members who legitimise the President. A president is legitimized by the sovereign will of the people of Ghana who vote and the Electoral Commission whom all of us have agreed to declare the winner”.

“They (Electoral Commission) declared him as the President... Are members of the NPP leadership buying petrol at the pre-John Mahama the second prices”, he questioned.

“Are they going to Embassies to get visas? They (Embassies) are acredited by the President. When a thief is attacking them in their house and they EW calling on the police. The president is the Commander-in-chief of the security services”, he said.

“What are we talking about. We have to be logical and consistent. You are not in anyway legitimizing anything. You are not an accomplice in anyway because the laws of the land says he is the President”, Mr Pianim said.

According to him, the situation where NPP MPs boycott en masse all actions of President John Mahama whose legitimacy the party is contesting in court was creating credibility problems for the opposition party.

Asked whether he thought the party was being controlled by some people for their own parochial interest, Mr Pianim said “I don’t believe that. We need to support the court action because to me it was good, because the party followers saw that we are doing something”.

“People felt cheated that the sovereign will of the people have been undermined so we needed people to do that. But we should not lose sight of what the law is, otherwise we would have anarchy.”

Mr Pianim noted that if the law says that President Mahama is the President, obey all what he says.

“When he is reversed, if he did something that was unlawful, you can repeal it. We are on a very dangerous slippery slope that can make this country ungovernable and that is what I am worried about”.

He explained he has been talking to people within the party on the issue.

“Wereko Brobby said it, that it was very illogical and some people were not comfortable with the position”.

He said it was time for the party to change the position because it was dangerous for society.

He said the MPs should start doing their work and if they don’t, somebody would go to court and issue a writ of mandamus against them and, “I will support anybody who go to say that”.