Former Kumbungu MP, Ras Mubarak, has called on former Minority Leader Haruna Iddrisu and the entire Minority caucus to focus on holding the Electoral Commission (EC) accountable ahead of the December elections, rather than engaging in what he termed as distractions.
Mubarak’s comments come in response to a motion filed by Haruna Iddrisu, seeking to declare the seats of four MPs running as independent candidates vacant.
In a sharply critical article published on Tuesday, Mubarak described the motion as a diversion from more pressing matters that demand attention.
He argued that the priority should be on ensuring that the EC delivers a free and fair election, especially considering past controversies surrounding the commission’s operations.
Mr Mubarak emphasized the need to address what he called the EC’s “intransigence” and push for transparency in the electoral process.
“Under the watch of the former Minority Leader, the NDC had a chance to cause of the removal of some MPs who’d violated the constitution, and cause a by-election. This was in 2022 when the following MPs – Hon. Sarah Adwoa Safo, Hon. Kennedy Agyapong, Hon. Henry Quartey and Hon. Kojo Kum, absented themselves from Parliament without leave of the Speaker.
He pointed out that under Haruna Iddrisu’s leadership, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) missed an opportunity in 2022 to address constitutional violations by certain MPs, including Sarah Adwoa Safo, Kennedy Agyapong, Henry Quartey, and Kojo Kum, who had absented themselves from Parliament without the Speaker’s leave.
“Never once during this egregious violation of the constitution did we hear the mover of today’s motion talk about defending the constitution. It took my petition to Parliament, which the Minority even attempted to shoot down, for the matter to be heard and brought before the Privileges Committee.”
Mr Mubarak further criticized Haruna for failing to uphold the constitution when it mattered most, accusing him of allowing the issue to be swept under the rug.
As the NDC prepares for a challenging election, Mubarak urged the party to focus on the more critical issue of ensuring a fair election process.
“At a time when it mattered most, the former Minority Leader abandoned his duty to defend and uphold the constitution. And alas, the issue has been conveniently swept under the rug. We in the NDC are hungry for political power. We are going into a very difficult election, where the referee (EC) is clearly biased against us. The sooner we kept our eyes on the most important things, the better for us.”
“We can’t afford to take our eyes off the ball. Parliament is clothed with all the powers to put the Electoral Commissioner in check. And I hope we make that a priority than this injury time gymnastics that are a waste of everyone’s time.
“The life of this parliament is less than three months from coming to an end. There’s little or no political capital from removing the MPs going Independent,” he stated.
Mr Mubarak concluded by warning against wasting time on “injury time gymnastics,” calling for Parliament to use its authority to keep the EC in check.
He also noted that with less than three months remaining in the life of the current Parliament, there is little political capital to be gained from removing MPs running as independents.