The Minority protests against Leader's treatment

The Minority has registered its protest against the treatment meted out to Mr. Joseph Henry Mensah, the Minority Leader, by Mr. Kenneth Dzirasah, during a debate on the floor of the House on a private member's motion on Friday, June 25.

It was moved by Nana Akufo Addo, the Minority Spokesman on Constitutional and Legal Matters and amended by Mr. Edward Doe Adjaho, the Majority Chief Whip. In the motion, Nana Akufo Addo requested the National Media Commission to ensure that the State-Owned Media (SOM) comply with the Supreme Court's ruling of 1993 to give equal access, space and time to the activities of all political parties.

In the Amendment Motion, Mr. Adjaho contended that the Commission should rather investigate whether the SOM have actually complied with the court's judgement, and then report back to the House to enable members take a decision on the matter.

When Mr. Mensah took the floor, his contribution to the debate was met with several interruptions and interventions from members of the Majority side, and this made it impossible for him to finish by the time the House was to adjourn.

The order from Mr. Dzirasah that either the Minority Leader winded up in two minutes, or considered it the end of his contribution after the adjournment incurred the displeasure of Mr. Mensah and the entire Minority members. A protest statement signed by Mrs. Gladys Asmah, the Deputy Minority Leader and Member of Parliament for Takoradi, the Minority urged Mr. Dzirasah to review his ruling to enable its leader to continue with his presentation whenever the debate opens.

The Minority pointed out that "we have never been amused at the apparent sympathy, that the Chair seems to have for the strategy of the Majority involving constant interruptions, often about nothingness, to filibuster the presentation of the Minority Group."

The Minority accused Mr. Dzirash of not able on many occasions, to restrain himself in the heat of the exchanges, from taking part in the debate even though the rules of the House manifestly disqualifies him from doing so while in the chair. The Minority described Mr. Dzirasah's decision as "most unfair" to the Minority Leader and by extension, to the entire Minority Group.

It said the decision amounts to saying "that he should be quarantined in a take-it-or-leave-it manner", and therefore urged the First Deputy Speaker to "withdraw your unwarranted attack on the integrity and conduct of the Minority Leader."