The Minority Caucus in Parliament has called on President John Mahama to immediately dismiss Malik Basintale, Acting Chief Executive Officer of the Youth Employment Agency, and Dr Hannah Bissiw, Administrator of the Minerals Development Fund (MDF), from their respective positions.
According to the Minority, their demand follows what they describe as the pair’s “celebration” of the recent electoral violence in the Ablekuma North constituency.
It will be recalled that the rerun of parliamentary elections in the constituency on 11 July turned violent, resulting in the assault of at least three journalists, the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) parliamentary candidate, Nana Akua Owusu Afriyie, and former Member of Parliament for Awutu Senya East, Mavis Hawa Koomson, among others.
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Addressing a news conference in Parliament on Wednesday, 16 July, led by Atiwa West MP Laurette Korkor, the Minority described the violence as a stain on Ghana’s democracy.
In her statement, Ms Korkor made specific reference to remarks made by Mr Basintale and Dr Bissiw, urging President Mahama to act decisively:
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Their celebration and justification of violence against opposition figures disqualifies them from holding any public office. Their dismissal is necessary to demonstrate that the government does not condone political violence.
The Caucus also called on the Ghana Police Service to expedite the arrest and prosecution of the individuals responsible for the violence, stressing that there must be no room for impunity in the country’s democratic process.
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They further urged the Police Service to conduct a thorough investigation into security lapses on the day, including the actions of the officer allegedly responsible for the assault on a GHOne TV journalist.
The Minority concluded their address by calling on the President to publicly condemn the incident and offer an unreserved apology to the victims, including Nana Akua Owusu Afriyie and Mavis Hawa Koomson.
