Don't let talented people shun politics - Obed

Dr Obed Asamoah, Chairman of National Democratic Congress on Monday said if a tradition was set that the home of a politician after leaving office was the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) cell or prison, then many men of integrity and talent would shun public office.

He said the worst part of it was that a party in power would resist leaving office by recourse to electoral fraud and other means that would sow the seeds of conflict and instability.

Dr Asamoah, who was speaking at a seminar on party philosophy in Accra said, "even if the law allows it, it is unwise to try persons for errors of economic judgement that may occasion economic loss to the state as distinct from fraud and corruption attributable directly to the offender.

The NPP, he said, was missing the opportunity to lead Ghana to a golden age as demonstrated by the harassment, intimidation and political trials taking place adding, that, "we are witnesses to events taking place in Madagascar, which are costing that nation dearly".

Dr Asamoah said the NPP could do this country a great service by saving its nationals from such trauma. He said, "to turn the Supreme Court into a kangaroo court by elevating a trail judge of a Fast Track Court to the Supreme Court in order to achieve the numbers necessary to overturn an earlier decision of the full Bench of the Supreme Court on the unconstitutionality of the Fast Track Court and for that judge to continue sitting as a fast track Court judge is subversive of the integrity of the judiciary."

He said, what the government should have tried to achieve was to have followed the advice of the Supreme Court to establish the Fast Track Court through legislation, which the opposition could not have objected to, since it knew that the primary purpose of the Fast Track was to expedite justice.

"They have instead allowed their pride to stand in the way of advancing true democracy in Ghana to their eternal glory," Dr Asamoah said. Dr Asamoah said "the NDC, with all its fault, real or imagined, never fell to the temptation to pack the Supreme Court in order to achieve the reversal against decision given against the government over the legality of celebrating the anniversary of the 31st December revolution".

He said the NPP could learn from the US how to do things right because "even though criminal motives were attributed to a decision to pardon a tax dodger and a fugitive from justice the Bush administration has not sought to put President Clinton on trial."