‘DCE aspiring to become MP’s must resign’

Page 15, May 29, 2008
Story: Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah

THE Member of Parliament (MP) for Nkwanta South, Mr Geshon K.B. Gbediame, yesterday called for the resignation of District Chief Executives (DCEs) who were aspiring to be parliamentary candidates of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
He said a situation where such DCEs, who had won primaries in their various constituencies were using state resources to campaign, did not create a level playing field for aspirants from other parties.
Mr Gbediame was contributing to comments raised on the floor of the House on the preparations towards the conduct of the forthcoming December elections.
He said it was because the government wanted to create a level playing field that some DCEs, who declared their intentions to contest primaries, were sacked by the President to enable them pursue their political ambitions.
Mr Gbediame said that notwithstanding, some DCEs, especially those in the Volta Region managed to hold on to their positions and contested their primaries and won.
He stated that efforts should be made to avoid the use of state resources by aspiring NPP candidates who were also DCEs for campaigning, since that would set a bad precedence.
Other MPs who contributed to the statement called for measures to be put in place to enable the electorate acknowledge contributions being made by MPs in the House.
The MP for Asawase, Alhaji Muntanka Mubarak, said it was sad that during the ongoing primaries to elect parliamentary candidates, sitting MPs were not being assessed by their works.
He blamed the situation on the lack of measures to educate the electorate on the actual work of MPs, saying that was rather unfortunate, and that as a result of ignorance, most people did not even consider law making as a development process.
For his part, the MP for Mfantsiman East, Mr George Kuntu-Blankson, called for a clean campaign by aspiring MPs from all the political parties.
“It is unfortunate that some colleague MPs make disparaging remarks about their colleagues in their bid to make them unpopular to lose their seats, due to political expediency”.
He noted that if MPs continued to do that the House would eventually lose the respect accorded it by the populace.