Mustapha Hamid, Spokesperson for the opposition New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) flagbearer, Nana Akufo-Addo, believes the NPP’s firm and constitutional handling of the recent internal suspensions, is an indication of the party’s ability to govern.
Mr. Hamid’s argument is that, the NPP is a party anchored by institutions and procedure, not personalities, hence is a more competent option for governance than the incumbent National Democratic Congress (NDC).
[contextly_sidebar id=”Oq9jWyITLip13FQ7GHQKDiN4wFyNhsvN”]Speaking on the Point Blank segment of Eyewitness News, he advanced that “If the NPP has shown itself to be a party that will let the rod fall on whoever falls foul of its laws and procedure, then I think that is a party that we can entrust the destiny of Ghana… an NPP government will be a government that will let the law apply.”
Mr. Hamid was responding to the NDC and its flagbearer, President John Mahama’s criticism of the NPP as a party intolerant of dissenting views.
During the NDC’s official campaign launch, President Mahama accused the NPP of unnecessarily punishing its members who speak against issues within the party, in reference to the suspended NPP Chair, Paul Afoko who had his suit challenging his dismissal from the party dismissed.
But Mr. Hamid believes the handling of Afoko’s suspension “is a reason why the Ghanaian people should vote for the NPP.”
“The major distinction between human societies and animal society is the existence of law. That is what distinguishes us as human beings from lower animals,” he added.
“In our party, it’s about institutions and not human beings and so when the human beings fall foul of this law, and try to destabilize the institutional workings of our constitutional structures, the law applies.”
NDC’s hypocrisy
Mr. Hamid proceeded to turn the tables on the NDC, accusing them of rather breeding a culture of intolerance given its handling of same in the past.
“I am alleging that the NDC is the intolerant party in this country because it is the party that when Dr. Obed Asamoah, Frances Asiam and Bede Zeden etc. dissented and spoke their minds against happenings in their congress in Koforidua, they were actually chased out of their party with horsewhips. People were beaten in broad daylight,” he retorted.
Mr. Hamid also pointed out the seeming blotches three different breakaway parties, stemming from dissenting views, have left on the NDC.
“In the fourth Republic, three parties have emerged out of the NDC; the National Reform Party, the Democratic Freedom Party and the National Democratic Party, all as a result of a certain show of intolerance towards dissent.”
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By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana
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