An aspiring independent presidential candidate, has expressed his belief that as a founding member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), it is not appropriate to publicly criticize the ruling government, especially given the current economic challenges.
He emphasized that, as a senior member of the party, openly condemning the government when he is aware of the issues won’t effectively address the problems.
Mr. Kyerematen pointed out that while others may hold a different viewpoint, he thinks that it’s not the right approach for a founding member of the party to openly criticize the government, particularly when he is aware of the challenges and the internal workings.
“If I’m part of a group at the very senior level, I don’t think it’s appropriate for me to come out and criticize the government when I’m aware of the challenges and whatever was going on.
“As a senior member of the party, the last thing I’ll do is to claim that I have no knowledge of whatever was going on.
“Is that what you expect a founding member of the party to do, that if there are challenges within the party, I come out openly to speak about it, for whose benefit?” he quizzed.
Mr. Kyerematen emphasized the importance of timing in addressing issues, suggesting that it’s better to find an appropriate time to discuss problems rather than impulsively condemning the government at any given opportunity.
He also noted that, during his time as a Cabinet Minister and a member of the Economic Management Team, he refrained from speaking on certain pressing issues due to the oath of secrecy that cabinet members sign.
“I think that there’s time for everything. When you want to speak about an issue, you find the appropriate time to speak about it especially when you aware of the circumstances that have given rise to the situation that you find yourself in,” he stated.
The former Trade Minister, announced his resignation from the NPP on September 25, 2023, and his intention to run as an independent candidate in the 2024 general elections.
“What I’m saying is that, we have an oath of secrecy that we sign on to as cabinet minsters and I don’t think that this is the right forum for us to talk about who said what and our different views on programmes.
He introduced his new movement called the “Movement for Change” and unveiled its symbol, the Monarch Butterfly, which symbolizes change, transformation, hope, and positivity in the political context.