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The former Head of the Policy Evaluation and Oversight Unit at the presidency, Dr Tony Aidoo, has called for a shift in the mindset of Ghana’s political actors, urging government and the opposition to adopt a “positive sum mentality” in Parliament to advance the country’s development.
In an interview on PM Express on October 22, he criticised the entrenched political rivalry in Parliament, which he said had stymied progress on key government business.
“The NPP caucus needs to climb down from their high horse and realise that politics should not be played in terms of a zero-sum mentality. It should be a positive sum mentality,” he stated.
His comments come in the wake of the Supreme Court’s ruling to stay Speaker Bagbin’s decision to declare four parliamentary seats vacant.
The ongoing legal tussle has intensified the power struggle between the NPP and NDC, raising concerns about how Parliament can function effectively.
Dr Aidoo stated that for government business to move forward, the ruling party must be willing to negotiate with the opposition.
“If the government wants to do business, it can come to Parliament. Negotiation is part of politics,” he added, suggesting that collaboration is the only way to break the current impasse.
Dr Aidoo also took aim at the attitude of NPP Majority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin, whom he described as displaying a fascist-like mindset.
“Only recently, he made a Freudian slip about his far-right protest, chastising a journalist,” which he believes doesn’t foster cooperation.
He noted that if the NPP continues to push for dominance in Parliament without considering compromise, the government will suffer setbacks in getting key legislation passed.
“The government loses more in this scenario. There’s no reason why they can’t have their bills passed if they adopt an attitude of compromise and cooperation,” Dr Aidoo warned.
source: mujoyonline.com
Rafiq Adam
Emmanuel Mensah
