The Minority in Parliament has accused the government of using state institutions to harass members of the opposition, warning that the alleged actions pose a threat to Ghana’s democracy.
Speaking during his closing remarks at the end of the second meeting of the second session of the Ninth Parliament on Friday, July 31, Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin alleged that Members of Parliament and other New Patriotic Party (NPP) members have been targeted for expressing dissenting views.
“We say to the NDC government: stop the harassment of the opposition,” Afenyo-Markin declared.
He claimed that investigative and prosecutorial powers of the state were being used to intimidate political opponents, describing the alleged conduct as “dangerous and wrong.”
“Members of the New Patriotic Party, including Minority MPs, have been maliciously targeted and harassed simply for holding different views through the use of the investigative and prosecutorial powers of the state,” he said.
According to the Minority Leader, such actions risk creating “a culture of silence” and undermine democratic governance.
Afenyo-Markin also expressed concern over what he described as a pattern of questionable judicial decisions, alleging that they point to unequal treatment under the law.
“We also place on record a shocking string of doubtful judicial decisions that have emerged in recent times. Taken together, they appear to suggest that there is one set of justice for the friends and cronies of this government and another, altogether harsher, set for its opponents,” he stated.
He concluded by stressing that Ghana’s democracy depends on the freedom of the opposition to express its views, saying, “Ghana is bigger than any one party, and our democracy only works if the opposition can speak.”
