Political clashes in Parliament do not benefit either side – Dr. Kojo Asante

The Director of Advocacy and Policy Engagement for the Center for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana), Dr. Kojo Asante, has condemned the recent chaos and violent confrontations that disrupted proceedings at the Appointments Committee of Parliament.

According to him, such actions do not serve the interests of either the Minority or the Majority and undermine the democratic process.

Dr. Asante’s comments follow the chaos that erupted on the evening of Thursday, January 30, 2025, ahead of the vetting of two nominees, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh and Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa.

The disagreement stemmed from a clash between the Minority and the Majority over the scheduling of the vetting. While the Minority argued that the vetting should be rescheduled for Friday, the Majority insisted on proceeding as planned on the same day.

The situation quickly escalated into violent confrontations, with the Minority members reportedly breaking tables and microphones in an attempt to delay the vetting process.

Speaking on The Big Issue on Channel One TV on February 1, 2025, Dr. Asante expressed concern over the incident, emphasising that such behaviour undermines the credibility of Parliament and fails to serve the interests of either side.

“Both sides are coming into this picture with a certain narrative. For the NDC, you want to reset the government. You want to show Ghanaians that a lot of the bad governance of the NPP and a lot of their behaviours are not going to be repeated.

“For that reason, Ghanaians rewarded that campaign and commitment with a large majority in Parliament. So, how do you fulfil that? It cannot be that you are going to dominate or intimidate the Minority because you are expected to be the bigger person. If you say that you are playing to your foot soldiers, it is not only your foot soldiers who voted for you. So, I don’t see how politically it benefits either side,” Dr. Asante stated.

He also addressed the NPP’s approach, noting that the issues of arrogance and impunity do not align with the expectations of Ghanaians.

“The same goes for the NPP. The issues of arrogance and impunity—I don’t see how you can overcome all of that, especially coming from an election where Ghanaians were emphatic that they were not happy with your behaviour in the past. Now, you are being seen as disruptive to the processes of government,” he added.