“NPP has proven its anti-Ghana behavior” by rejecting Nov 7 – Kofi Adams

The National Organiser of the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) says the rejection of the Constitutional Amendment Bill by Parliament was a function of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP)’s disrespect for Ghanaians.

Kofi Adams says he is disappointed Parliament was not able to garner the two-thirds vote to pass the Bill.

“I am highly disappointed, but I am happy the NPP once again has proven its anti-Ghana behavior for all of us to see,” he told Evans Mensah, host of Joy FM’s Newsnite.

Parliament on Thursday rejected the Constitutional Amendment Bill which was expected to empower the Electoral Commission (EC) to hold the 2016 general election in November.

The lead up to discussions of the Bill was fierce with the NDC and the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) both holding diverse opinions.

The NDC had defended the position of the Commission, arguing it will be able to organize a successful election in November when given the go ahead, but the NPP was opposed to that.

According to the NPP, the Bill should be deferred to 2020 because the Commission was not prepared for an earlier date.

But out of the 220 Members of Parliament (MPs) who voted for the Bill during a secret voting, 125 MPs voted in favor of the Bill while 95 MPs voted to reject the Bill.

The rejection of the Bill means that the EC will not be able to organize this year’s election in November but rather in the original December 7 date.

A distraught Kofi Adams says the NPP has once again failed to differentiate a national call from a partisan call in the way it voted in the House.

“This is a bill that went through a process that Parliament’s Constitutional and Legal Committee has brought to the House through consensus, but nobody ever thought the NPP was going to pull a ‘Suuleeaa’ on all Ghanaians,” he said, adding, he is disappointed with the outcome.

The NPP, he believes has deceived Ghanaians considering all the major stakeholders agreed the December 7 date has to be changed.

“This is an admission that they [NPPs] are not going to win and that this government will carry on,” he said.

Also reacting to the development was Political Scientist, Dr Ransford Gyampoh, who could not bring himself to accept the Bill was rejected in Ghana’s legislature considering its relevance.

He explained “The whole idea to bring the election date from December 7 to November 7 is to provide ample time to ensure the transfer of power,” saying the rejection will affect the transitional process after a change of government.

“What can you competently do to ensure that you get a better transition?” he asked, saying, Ghanaians have to be the judgment.