A Political Science Lecturer at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) has criticised the national executive of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) for the change of the Minority Leadership in Parliament.

Dr Amoako Baah said a political party does not have power over Parliament and asked them to rescind the decision.

“I think the best way is to rescind the decision,” he suggested.

He added that it is up to the lawmakers to make a change if they deem fit.

“The party apparatus has no official power in Parliament, whatever the party wants to be done in Parliament, they have to go through MPs… The party operatives cannot go to Parliament and tell anything to the Speaker unless something the Speaker request the party officials to present, but anywhere in the world it is not the political party that goes to Parliament and tells them this is the one we want for this,” he stressed.

Speaking in an interview on Joy FM’s Newsnight on Thursday, Dr Baah noted that when a political party takes such a decision, “it opens the process to corruption.”

“If the party apparatus can appoint whoever they want, then they can appoint their favourites. Then there will not be peace in the party, that is a problem,” he added.

The Political Science Lecturer’s comment is against the backdrop of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) on Tuesday announcing a reshuffle of its leadership in Parliament.

The Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu and the Chief Whip, Muntaka Mubarak, were all changed as leaders of the Caucus.

A letter signed by the party’s General Secretary, Fifi Kwetey announced Dr Cassiel Ato Forson as the new Minority Leader with Emmanuel Kofi-Armah Buah as the Deputy Minority Leader.

MP for Adaklu, Kwame Governs Agbodza was also named as the party’s new Minority Chief Whip, taking over from Asawase MP, Muntaka Mubarak.

Meanwhile, the decision has divided the Minority Caucus in Parliament with some for the change while others are calling for a suspension and engagement.

Reacting to the change, Dr. Amoako Baah noted that the decision has brought about division in the party as well as the country.

He further described the change as an unforced error, adding that any change has to be done on consensus basis.

“These people are the face of NDC. How do you make this decision like that without talking to them first? You should have called them, this is what we are thinking about and because of this… and you talk it through. If it doesn’t work, okay then don’t implement it. If it works, then they all agree and they do it. You didn’t do that, you just ambush them all of a sudden, you can’t do that,” he said.