Minority Leader: Live Telecast Of The Election Petition Slows Down Productivity But�

Hon. Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu, Minority Leader and MP for Suame, has added his voice to the brouhaha surrounding the live telecast of the 2012 election petition filed by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) against the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the Electoral Commission (EC). Concerns have been raised about the continuous live coverage of the hearing because it has the potential to disrupt work and affect productivity. According to the minority leader, he agrees totally with all who are saying that the live telecast of the court hearings will slow down productivity but he however believes this is not the first time the country is telecasting a live event continuously. �I will agree with those saying that the live telecast of the 2012 election petition hearings slows down productivity, no one can justify that but don�t we telecast football matches and the World Cup live on TV, does that have any bearings on productivity? What we must ask ourselves is that, wouldn�t this live court hearing help the nation?� he asked on Kumasi based Hello FM. The newly appointed African Parliamentarians Network Against Corruption (APNAC) President, advised, political parties who would want to challenge the results of an election channel their grievances to the court rather than cause mayhem, he therefore applauds the NPP for setting the pace for others to emulate. �It is good to challenge an election results in court for a peaceful understanding than to cause an uprising. If there is an uprising, the nation�s productivity will be deteriorated than what others are complaining of now about the live telecast. ��after the hearings, what i believe is that, this will be a watershed in the affairs of the Electoral Commission (EC) and the conduct of elections in this country. This will bring a massive change in how we will conduct our elections. All the political parties would have to learn something from the court proceedings, so I think it�s good for the Chief Justice to give a go ahead for the live telecast of the court proceedings,� he said. He however said the NPP will be content with the outcome of the hearing, if the nine panel judges believe the NPP has no case to defend.