Minority questions President's trip

Centre spread, June 26, 2010
Story: Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah
THE Minority in Parliament has questioned the validity of the reason adduced by President John Atta Mills for his current trip to South Africa.
The Minority Leader, Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, raised the issue at yesterday’s sitting of the House after the Speaker, Mrs Joyce Bamford-Addo, had informed the House that President Mills had travelled to South Africa.
According to the communication from the Presidency, which was read by the Speaker, the President left for South Africa on Thursday to consult his counterpart, Mr Jacob Zumah, on the upcoming African Union (AU) Summit scheduled for Kampala, Uganda.
The communication informed the House that the President was expected back home on Monday.
But when Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu caught the eye of the Speaker, he said it was unfortunate that the President did not inform the House before he embarked on the trip, even though the House had sat on Thursday.
He quoted Article 59 of the 1992 Constitution, which reads thus: “The President shall not leave Ghana without prior notification in writing, signed by him and addressed to the Speaker of Parliament.”
The Minority Leader said by extension, the notification in writing to the Speaker was meant for Parliament and the good people of the country and demanded that the President explain to Ghanaians why he took such an action.
Besides, Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu told the House that the President’s reason for embarking on the trip was untenable, since President Zumah, with whom he was going to hold bilateral talks, was himself attending the G-8 Summit in Canada.
“Was the President candid to Ghanaians when he informed us that he was going to hold talks with the South African President? We demand answers. At an appropriate time, we will demand answers,” he stated.
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu added that President Zumah was scheduled to return to South Africa the very day that President Mills was scheduled to return to Ghana and wondered whether he could really hold any bilateral talks with President Zumah.
On a point of order, the Deputy Majority Leader, Mr Rashid Pelpuo, said, “Madam Speaker, I know that the notification did not get to you only this morning.”
But the Speaker cut in and explained that even though the communication might had been brought to Parliament the day before, she had it only that morning.
Continuing, Mr Pelpuo explained that the Presidency was not just a personality but an institution and that even though the South African President might not be in the country, that did not prevent President Mills from holding talks with the South African Presidency.
But the NPP MP for New Juaben North, Mr Hackman Owusu-Agyeman, debunked the claim by Mr Pelpuo, explaining that in diplomatic circles, Presidents on such trips held talks with their counterparts and not even Vice-Presidents or other government officials.
He said President Mills should have been bold to inform Ghanaians that he was going to South Africa to watch the 1/16 stage match between Ghana and the United States in the ongoing World Cup tournament, instead of the reason he gave for the trip.
Commenting on the issue, Mrs Bamford-Addo said it was within the rights of MPs to demand the whereabouts of the President, adding that should the President have an explanation on his return, he might offer it.