The Majority Leader in Parliament has proposed a forum for direct communication between president Mills, the leadership and core members of the National Democratic Congress (NDC). Alban Bagbin says such a platform would give key party members the opportunity to make quality inputs into government’s policy alternatives contained in the budget. “You want to be together to raise an issue so that other people can express their opinions; these opinions are usually very, very good inputs into governance. We don’t have that,” Mr Bagbin told Joy News editor Matilda Asante Asiedu. “And for example, if people were given the opportunity to make inputs into the budget, maybe, there would have been some other reflections of the concerns and the promises in our manifesto.” He cited government’s failure to go by a manifesto promise to kick-start a major project promised in the campaign manifesto of the party when it was still in opposition. The then opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) promised to allocate a seed money of GH¢200,000 to the Savanna Accelerated Development Authority (SADA) and also make available some GH¢100,000 to sustain the project, Mr Bagbin said. But according the Nadowli West Member of Parliament (MP), government allocated only GH¢25,000 to the project – as indicated in the 2010 budget - but failed to explain to Ghanaians the rationale behind the change. “This definitely falls short of what we promised and we haven’t had the rationale why it is GH¢25,000 and we have to go out there to explain to the people. How are [you] going to explain something you don’t know?” he asked. The Majority Leader intimated that the President has failed to appreciate the need for such intra-party interactions aimed at sculpturing a better government, adding the President must begin to assess his close aides and confidantes. “The problem is that the President has failed to appreciate the importance of giving room to such people outside the government structure to make inputs into government. I think also that the President has got a few people around him, who give a posture that is repressive and intimidates others from coming up candidly with their views engage,” he stated. “I will advise H.E. the President to listen to the people around him and to make sure the people around him reflect his character. In other words, people who are honest, humble, and with a listening ear; not people who intimidate and frighten and are repulsive.” Mr Bagbin again drew a sharp contrast between how the Rawlings-led NDC and current government have engaged top shots of the party who are not in government. He said such “senior members”, during the Rawlings administration, had regular meetings with the president and other officials including the leadership of Parliament “and sometimes government policies are brought forth for discussions and debate.” The Majority Leader said although the President and his team at the Castle have accepted “in principle” the suggestion for such forum “it has not found expression as at now and we’ve finished one good year.” Story by Fiifi Koomson/Myjoyonline.com/Ghana