There was an interesting debate on the political situation in The Gambia in parliament on Wednesday, with the majority New Patriotic Party (NPP) applauding the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) for ensuring that outgone President Yahaya Jammeh handed over peacefully to his successor.
On the other hand, the minority National Democratic Congress (NDC) berated ECOWAS for hastily moving troops to The Gambia since there was no war situation there.
The minority members had argued that before moving troops to The Gambia for whatever purpose, member countries of ECOWAS should have sought the consent of their various parliaments; but the majority said the intervention was part of the Community’s Protocol to ensure that democracy thrives in the sub-region.
The debate arose when the NPP Member of Parliament (MP) for Effutu, Alex Afenyo-Markin, made a statement on the floor on the ‘intervention of ECOWAS in The Gambia and its implication on peace and security in the West African sub-region.’
According to him, ECOWAS rightly activated its dispute settlement mechanism on the brink of another violent conflict in the sub-region when former Gambian President Yahaya Jammeh refused to hand over power after losing a legitimate national election.
The Effutu MP said the multi-purpose approach adopted by ECOWAS, including the deployment of UN-backed troops from the sub-region as well as the supervision of the swearing-in of the new president at the Embassy of The Gambia in Senegal, was a necessary intervention that averted humanitarian disaster, possible violation of human rights, the seeming threat to peace and security in the sub-region which could have resulted in the displacement of innocent persons.
According to him, as a pre-eminent stakeholder in the enterprise to maintain peace and security, Ghana under the presidency of Nana Akufo-Addo, committed 205 troops to enhance its political leverage in the sub-region.
Mr Afenyo-Markin also explained that President Akufo-Addo’s decision to request former President John Mahama to continue with his mediation role alongside other leaders in the sub-region, was a true reflection of President Akufo-Addo’s understanding of the dynamics of international relations and diplomacy, adding that ECOWAS has made democracy to triumph over dictatorship in The Gambia.
The NDC MP for Tamale North, Suhunyi Alhassan Sayibu, said ECOWAS should have waited for ex-President Jammeh to have exhausted all the constitutional means to resolve the standoff after challenging the results.
He asked parliament to possibly consider a legislation which if an incumbent president who loses an election decides to challenge the results in court, there would not be any power vacuum.
The NPP MP for Bimbilla and Minister-designate for Defence, Dominic Nitiwul, challenged the suggestion saying, if an incumbent president loses general election in Ghana and wants to challenge the results, he will have to hand over first to the opposition leader who won the election before he goes ahead to challenge the election results in the court to avoid any power vacuum.
Source: Daily Guide
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When NPP sent the 2012 elections presidential results to court, did NDC waited for the case to come to conclusion before they re-swear President Mahama as the new president? President Mahama was re-sworn in while the case was ongoing. They should keep quite on Gambia. If Yahaya looses, he should just go and the new president start his work.
WHO IS THIS PUMA? THIS GUY JUST TALK SH*IT. HOW MANY CRIMINALS/CORNMEN/ARROGANTS/LAZY AND INCOMPETENT GUYS WERE IN KUFFOUR'S GOVERNMENT WHEN HE SAID CORRUPTION WAS FROM ADAM? MR SUHUYINI IS CAPABLE, IF YOU HAVE ANY ADVISE ON PARLIAMENTARY PROCEEDINGS GIVE IT TO YOUR BOMB ADJOA SAFO. BRING ON THE INDEPENDENT PROSECUTOR, HE WILL ALSO LOOK INTO YOUR PARTY'S DEALINGS BEFORE AND AFTER THEY LEAVE OFFICE. GHANA BELONGS TO ALL GHANAIANS NONS*NSE. ***barred word*** FUNN
I'm beginning to see this Suhuyini or whatever he calls himself as not worthy to be in Parliament, it's kinda the guy is there to frustrate on going parliamentary proceedings with his radio Gold bitterness and hate for the nation. What did his constituents see in him for them to vote for him?he is making too much noise with no substance,parliament is a place of business and needs people with high level of wisdom not loud mouth jokers. Suhuyini if you want Ghanaians to hear you of cause we hear you but we hear too much noise,we hear you but we hear too much nons*nse,we hear you but we hear too match Alhaji and Alhaji presenter,we hear you but no substance. This is why the founder is calling for integrity in his party,how can you put somebody who came to parliament less than 6 weeks among parliamentary vetting committee if you are truthful to your party? This guy doesn't know nothing about how the Parliament works but ndc being untrustworthy to Ghanaians are deceiving their supporters like that place is a battlefield between political parties instead of thinking of the nation so their main idea is to put to put those they perceived to be tough guys instead of brilliant and intelligent guys. Ndc are their own enemies as president Rawlings said,things weren't right in the party when in power but they paid no mind. They thought they were tough guys and could beat everything because they were in power hence this gargantuan humiliated disgraceful defeat. They haven't learnt nothing from that and annoying the Ghanaian people the more with these kriminals they call mps in Parliament. If you have Eric Opoku such a murderer in your side who is going to respect your party because every Ghanaian knows him to be a murderer and a big kriminal.He has run to parliament to seek immunity but he lie bad,Ghana will take what it is to fish him out. President Rawlings will take back his party when those kriminals are fished out for prosecution for now he is keeping his fingers crossed. There too many kriminals in his party which is making it unattractive since Ghanaians view it as a party that Habour kriminals so he said INTEGRITY & TRUTH first. Truth can live with kriminals.