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‘Back-door’ veeps must be vetted in public
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- Parent Category: Our Country
- Category: Politics
- Created on Thursday, 02 August 2012 00:00
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‘Back-door’ veeps must be vetted in public
The Minority Leader is convinced Parliament’s decision to vet the newly nominated vice-president, Mr Kwesi Amissah-Arthur in public is right thing to do.Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu insisted “back door” vice presidential nominees who did not have the benefit of a campaign season with the flagbearer, must be scrutinized by the representatives of the people in the full glare of the population before assuming office.
His comments come shortly after it was announced by the Appointments Committee of Parliament that the former Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Mr Kwesi Amissah-Arthur who has now been nominated to a higher office of a vice –president will be vetted in public on Monday.
There was initial controversy over the procedure to be used in approving him with some MPs kicking against a public vetting saying the office of the vice-president will be unduly exposed.
But Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu explained whilst campaigning as a pair, both the flagbearer and the vice-presidential candidates are subjected to series of questions by electorates which form the basis for the voting of the pair into office.
But in the scenario where the death of a sitting president forces a vice president to be sworn-in as president and he in turn nominates a vice-president as happened recently in Ghana, Osei Kyei-Mensah- Bonsu was unequivocal the new vice presidential candidate must be vetted in public.
He said with our recent political history where a vice president woke-up in the morning and was sworn in as president in the evening, it was all the more crucial for the country to know the personality they are going to approve to the second highest position in the country.
He rejected suggestions that the Minority will be all out politicking and seeking to embarrass the nominee when he appears on Monday.
He said the mood in the country is that of gloom and the minority will not go out of its way to worsen the dilemma the county finds itself.
Majority Leader Cletus Avoka who had early on kicked against a public vetting for the vice presidential nominee said the decision taken by the Appointment Committee was a compromised one.
Even though the decision still remains a public vetting, he said the time allotted for the vetting has been short circuited.
He said in a likely event that issues of national security or other serious issues crop up those issues will be heard in camera.
Executive Director of the Institute of Democratic Governance Dr Emmanuel Akwetey welcomed the decision to vet the nominee in public.
That he said will be a vital principle towards the deepening of transparency in the country.
From:Nathan Gadugah/Myjoyonline.com
