The Deputy Communications Officer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Malik Basintale, has said that the Minority has never said anywhere that they will continuously boycott proceedings in parliament.
He clarified that what the Minority in Parliament has said is that, it will not show up in parliament during periods that its colleagues are to appear in court for hearings on their respective cases.
Speaking in an interview on TV3 and shared via Twitter, Malik Basintale said he finds it difficult for anyone to suggest that the Minority are being unprincipled when on other days, and during committee meetings, they show up in the House.
“The Minority has not said anywhere that we will boycott parliamentary activities forever; they have not said that. The Minority has also not said anywhere that we will boycott parliamentary activities every day. The point has been made clear that anytime James Gyakye Quayson appears before court, we will boycott.
“And so, if Monday, James Gyakye Quayson is not appearing before court and then there is a parliamentary sitting on Monday, and we appear, you say we are unprincipled people? If Tuesday morning, between the hours of 6 and 10, James Gyakye Quayson is n it appearing before court and then we appear to attend committee meetings, you say we are unprincipled?
“How is that someone being unprincipled? It’s either he has not read what the Minority has said, or he has not been listening all this while. Because clearly, if he has been following whatever we have been doing with regard to this activity, he won’t sit down and say all sorts of the things he has been saying,” he explained.
So far, two applications by the lawyers of James Gyakye Quayson, seeking a stay of proceedings in his case, have been dismissed.
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Malik Basintale is the Deputy National Communications Officer of the NDC