Policy think tank Strategic Thinkers Network (STRANEK) are calling for the prosecution of Tema West Member of Parliament, Carlos Kingsley Ahenkorah, for his ballot-snatching incident in Parliament.
The group in a statement issued on Thursday, January 14, said Mr. Ahenkorah’s action during the election of Speaker for Ghana’s 8th Parliament was criminal, undemocratic, unparliamentary and dishonourable, and thus cannot just be overlooked with the issuance of an apology.
They are therefore asking that the Tema West MP should face the full rigours of the law for his actions.
“A 39-year-old fisherman Christian Nukpeta has been sentenced to three months imprisonment for engaging in similar actions in the just-ended general elections [in] the Sene West constituency in the Bono East Region. Indeed, what is good for the goose (sic) must be equally good for the gander,” the Think Tank said.
STRANEK’s statement co-signed by Eryam Norglo, its Deputy Director of Research and Nii Tettey Tetteh, its Executive Director, also referenced the issue of armed military men entering the chamber of Parliament during the election of the Speaker and raised a question that it said begs for answers.
“The second unfortunate [incident] was how armed combatants of the Ghana Armed Forces moved into Parliament. Who instructed for such actions? For what purpose? Why were they armed? This matter begs for answers and a full-blown investigation will suffice in that regard,” STRANEK added.
According to STRANEK, the incidents surrounding the workings of the 8th Parliament on January 6 and 7, 2021 cast a dent on Ghana’s “beacon of democracy” tag, hence the need to ensure punitive action as a deterrence to further recurrences.
STRANEK is calling for the prosecution of the Tema West MP for snatching ballot papers in Parliament