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Changes in Minority leadership: Party, caucus in crunch meeting today

The Minority caucus will today hold a crunch meet­ing with leadership of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to address “all outstanding issues” following the shakeup in the caucus’ leadership in parlia­ment.

The meeting is in response to the cracks that are emerging in the caucus and the party at large following the appointment of Dr Casiel Ato Forson and his team to replace the Haruna Iddrisu-led team.

“The Minority caucus will have our maiden meeting with party leadership on Tuesday, January 31, 2023.

“It is our hope that at that meet­ing, we will resolve all outstanding concerns,” new Minority Leader, Dr Forson, MP, Ajumako/Enyan/ Essiam constituency told journal­ists on Thursday, January 26, 2023 after he called on party leadership here in Accra.

Dr Forson, 44, pledged that his team would work hand-in-hand with the former leaders, who he said have vast experience, to secure victory for the party in next year’s polls.

“We want to assure our former leaders that this leadership will work with them in good faith.

“We know that the Hon. Haru­na’s leadership chalked a lot of suc­cesses and we recognize that all of us are products of that leadership.

“Hon. Mohammed Mubarak Muntaka (the outgoing Minority Chief Whip) is a stalwart and this leadership will often defer to them so far as decisions are concerned and to seek their inputs before final decisions are made.

“We believe that this team will deliver the NDC victory from the parliamentary side and we are determined to do just that,” Dr Forson said.

The Council of Elders of the NDC, meanwhile, has acknowl­edged receipt of a petition from some members of the Parliamenta­ry caucus regarding the changes.

“The Council has initiated steps to act expeditiously on the petition and related matters,” a statement issued by Chairman of the Coun­cil, Alhaji Mahama Iddrisu, on Saturday said.

While at it, the Council urged its lawmakers, party leadership at all levels to refrain from further public pronouncements on the matter in the larger interest of the NDC.

“This is a time to be circumspect in order not to play into the hands of our detractors,” the statement admonished.

The Council further assured the rank and file of the party of an early and principled resolution of the issues and ultimately, the NDC will emerge stronger and more united.

The decision by the opposition party to reshuffle its front bench in parliament has divided opinion in the party barely two years to the polls.

Following the removal of the Haruna Iddrisu-led team, 50 mi­nority MPs have reportedly signed a petition impressing upon the National Executive Committee of the party to reverse the decision.

On the other hand, 77 MPs have also signed a petition in support of Dr Ato Forson and his charges with party members also sharply divided over the changes.

 BY JULIUS YAO PETETSI

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