[ 2015-03-26 ]

Group threatens demo against NPP’s ‘ethnically divisive’ guidelines
The main opposition New Patriotic Party’s
affirmative action guidelines barring men from
contesting incumbent female MPs, as well as
reserving some seats in coastal Accra for
indigenous Ga people is “discriminatory and
ethnically divisive,” a group calling itself
Coalition for the Defence of Equal Citizenship
(CODEC) has said.

CODEC, a broad-based, multi-partisan and
multi-cultural nationalist group, has through a
press statement called on the NPP to, “as a
matter of urgency withdraw these obnoxious and
divisive regulations for the conduct of
parliamentary primary elections.”

CODEC, which was formed “as a direct and
immediate response to creeping ethnic bigotry and
tribal and gender discrimination in our
country,” said: “We are resolved and
determined to defend our 1992 Republican
Constitution which enjoins all of us under Article
17 (2) – ‘A person shall not be discriminated
against on grounds of gender, race, colour, ethnic
origin, religion, creed or social or economic
status.’”

“We are committed to the equality of all
Ghanaians and the preservation of personal
liberties and the right to vote and be voted for
no matter which region, gender or tribe one hails
from. It is for this reason that we are
outraged” by the NPP’s affirmative action
guidelines.

The NPP at its recent National Executive Committee
meeting adopted a proposal for only female
aspirants to contest the seats of the existing 16
female NPP Members of Parliament.

Similarly the following coastal constituencies in
the Greater Accra Region are meant to be reserved
for Ga indigenes except in exceptional
circumstances: Ngleshie Amanfrom, Ablekuma South,
Odododiodio, Korle Klottey, La Dade Kotopon,
Ledzokuku, Krowor, Tema East, Tema West, Kpone
Katamanso, Amasaman, Obom and Domeabra.

“CODEC considers this development as a further
drawback on the gains we have made as a nation
after 58 years of independence. We wish to state
that about 60 years ago, the good people of Accra
Central Constituency voted to elect Dr Kwame
Nkrumah as their Member of Parliament as against
Obetsebi-Lamptey, a member of the Big Six.

“The good people of the Ga State have always
demonstrated that they will prefer voting on the
basis of one’s key competences and skills to
voting on the basis of ethnic or tribal
affiliations. It must be pointed out that these
guidelines also fly in the face of how political
parties must conduct their affairs as directed in
Article 54 (4),” which states that: “Every
political party shall have a national character,
and membership shall not be based on ethnic,
religious, regional or other sectional
divisions.”

The group said: “We are resolved to lead a
sustained and determined campaign to bring an end
to such backward, discriminatory and divisive
strategies in our body politick. CODEC believes
that these guidelines are contrary to the
commitment towards the full realisation of the
ideals of our nation’s founding fathers and the
aspirations of the vast majority of our people to
build a united and prosperous nation where all
Ghanaians have an equal stake in the opportunities
that our dear nation offers irrespective of
background and status.”

The group, which not too long ago went on a
demonstration against former finance Minister Yaw
Osafo-Maafo for allegedly making some tribal
comments added in its statement jointly signed by
Edudzi Kudzo Tameklo (Convener); Ali Dawud
(Operations Coordinator); and Jude Atuahene
(Education Coordinator) that: “Failure to
withdraw this Roadmap in seven days, CODEC will
organise a series of massive demonstrations to
bring pressure to bear on the leadership of the
NPP to respect the sensibilities of Ghanaians and
uphold our oneness as a people. We wish to extend
a hand of solidarity to all members of the New
Patriotic Party who are conscientiously opposed to
these stifling regulations. We call on all of them
and indeed the general public to join our struggle
to preserve our unity and cohesion as a
country.”

Source - Starrfmonline

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