NPP is only following its principles – Dr. Iddi

Political Science Lecturer at the University of Ghana, Dr. Ziblim Iddi has said though the Minority members of Parliament maybe struggling with decision to boycott the vetting of the President Mahama’s ministerial nominees, they are only following their principles.

“The minority find themselves in a very difficult; principles are like the number one, so when you take a principled position and you compromise on it, it is like abandoning that principle and that is the difficult situation that the minority have found themselves.”

Speaking on the Citi Eyewitness news, Dr. Iddi said the minority is only maintaining the principle they took by boycotting the inauguration of the President. “Starting with the boycott of the inauguration of the president they [NPP] then have to find logic in maintaining the principled position of not seen or to be seen as endorsing the election of the President.”

According to the Political Scientist there is reason and logic in the NPP’s position, however, “in the image of Ghana as a country seen to be consolidating democracy one would have hoped that a national exercise such as vetting nominees to become substantive ministers will be patronized by members of both parties, so that it will not look like we are running a one party state in Ghana.”

“What is going on with the NPP is what you expect of any political party that seeks to win power and have opportunity to implement their agenda” he added.

Dr. Iddi also said “The NPP is still leaving in that period of competition; until for them the courts decide they still think that there is that window of opportunity for them to be the ones who will have the mandate to run the nation.

The minority [NPP] on Thursday boycotted the vetting of the ministers nominated by the President Mahama saying they would not participate in any government business which would invalid when the Supreme Court rules in their favour in the election petition challenging the results of the 2012 presidential elections.

However, after public outcry against their decision, the minority has said it may review its decision to boycott the vetting process.