‘Parliamentary leaders don’t resign’ – Dr. Draman

Dr. Rasheed Draman, the Executive Director of the African Centre for Parliamentary Affairs (ACEPA), has noted that leaders in both caucuses in parliament do not resign from their posts. 

According to Dr. Draman, leaders in parliament are rather reshuffled through extensive consultations.

Dr. Draman’s comments come on the back of former majority leader and minister for parliamentary affairs, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, who tendered his resignation in the late hours of Wednesday, February 21.

Speaking to Alfred Ocansey, host of Ghana Tonight, Dr. Draman maintained that broad consultation must be embraced by both the NPP and NDC in the event of changing their leaders in parliament.

“It is sad for our parliament but most importantly, it is not a motivation for others to give their all in terms of their contribution to their party and so on.

“The party has every right, as the leader has said, in terms of making decisions but the keyword is consultation and carrying everybody along,” said Dr. Draman, urging both parties to “learn this very fast.”

He believed that such consultations would prevent the notion that party leadership does not listen to the views and suggestions of members before making a decision.

The parliamentary advocate further stated that the parliamentary caucuses deserve better from their party leadership.

“When the NDC thing [reshuffle] happened, there were a lot of members of the caucus who were very angry, not because of the change but because of the process and how most of them were not consulted,” he stated.

Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu should have exited elegantly, according to Cletus Avoka

Mr. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, according to 3News sources, tendered his resignation as the Majority Leader for the NPP Caucus in Parliament before a scheduled crunch meeting convened by President Akufo-Addo at the Jubilee House in the late hours of Wednesday, February 21.

But Cletus Avoka, MP for Zebilla, reacting to the development on Ghana Tonight on TV3, said, “I am hugely disappointed,” adding that the exit of Mr. Kye-Mensah-Bonsu will be a great disservice not only to the NPP party but to Ghana as a whole.

“I do not think that given just about 10 months to the election and some acknowledgment for the exit, as he has decided not to contest the 2024 elections like myself, I do not think that this is the way he should exit, I think that he should exit in a more elegant and befitting manner,” said Mr. Avoka.

It is, however, unclear what might have necessitated the decision by Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu to resign as the majority leader.

Meanwhile, a few hours after his resignation announcement, Hon. Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu was named as the 2024 Manifesto committee chair for the Bawumia campaign ahead of the December 7, 2024 elections.