The Vice Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Freddy Blay, has defended the opposition party’s National Executive Committee’s (NEC) decision to disallow male Members of Parliament(MPs) from contesting female MPs in the upcoming parliamentary primaries.
He believes the directive is an affirmative action aimed at promoting gender parity.
The NEC’s new directive sparked debate among members of the party, who described the move as illegal and unconstitutional.
[contextly_sidebar id=”HDeez27RqHDHTdPCmktF8zHP5jWw51v9″]Hundreds of NPP supporters also besieged the party’s headquarters to protest the new directive.
However, speaking on Eyewitness News, Freddy Blay said “the decision was based on what the party considered to be a very good principle of affirmative action.”
“It was an affirmative action. In many countries, international parliamentary union acts even indicate that all legislators should have at least 30 percent of gender parity, including women to hold seats.”
He wondered why party members were protesting the new directive when Ghana’s national constitution “allows and encourages …gender parity”
“It is understandable that some people out of anger will protest but this is a democratic party and it allows for all these things, except that it should be done in a peaceful manner.”
Blay further clarified that the party thought it will be a “positive step” in making parliamentary seats a little bit safer and reserving it for women to come and challenge them.
Speaking on the party’s decision to exempt incumbent MPs from paying the developmental fees, Blay clarified that the party took that decision because they [ incumbent MPs] had contributed to the “organisation of the party”
“They have been paying even the rent and staff salaries at the headquarters and many of them are also nurturing the constituencies they are representing.They have been contributing for registrations etc that the party has been undertaking” he said
–
By: Marian Efe Ansah/citifmonline.com/Ghana