Majority Leader in Parliament, Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu has revealed how top-notch members of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) are relentless in their quest to persuade the newly elected Independent Member of Parliament for Fomena Constituency to join the NDC side in parliament.
According to the Majority Leader, stalwarts of the opposition party both in parliament and outside parliament have made countless advances to the sacked MP in a bid to woo him to align with the NDC in the next parliament.
One of such top-notch members of the NDC relentlessly wooing the MP to join the NDC in parliament, Mr. Mensah Bonsu claimed, is the vice-presidential candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Prof. Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang.
The Majority Leader said this in dismissing assertion by the Minority Chief Whip, Muntaka Mubarak that the Independent MP, per the provisions of the Constitution, cannot align with any party except in the transaction of parliamentary business.
“Both sides (Majority and Minority) are counting on Mr. Asiamah to become majority in parliament. I’m aware that the running mate to the NDC contacted him and subsequent to that many people have contacted him from the NDC to persuade him to Join their aside. Why will they do that if he can’t align with any party to become majority?” he said.
It is the contention of Mr. Muntaka Mubarak that the Independent MP will be crossing-carpet if he chooses to join any of the two main parties in parliament. This, he argued, will require of him to vacate his seat since the constitution does not permit cross-carpet.
He believes the Independent MP-elect can only side with either of the parties in the transaction of parliamentary businesses but cannot sit with any of them to form majority in parliament.
But the Majority Leader disagreed.
Andrews Amoako Asiamah who was a sitting MP on the ticket of the NPP contested the Fomena Constituency seat as an independent candidate in the 2020 elections.
His decision to go independent after disagreement with party’s executive at the constituency level attracted stiff actions against him by the NPP. The NPP dismissed him from the party and caused his removal from parliament with the claim that his decision to contest as an independent candidate is a forfeiture of his membership of the party.
He was also impressed upon by leading members of the NPP including the president to rescind his decision and support the NPP’s candidate for the 2020 elections.
But Mr. Asiamah defied the president’s appeal and insisted that his decision to contest as an independent candidate was in the interest of his constituents.
He eventually won the seat and has become key in determining which party holds majority in parliament as none of the two main parties won majority seats in the elections.
