Alexander Afenyo-Markin, the Minority Leader has stated that the party is known for its “gentlemanliness” and adherence to the law.
On Thursday, during the vetting of ministerial nominees, disagreements led to physical altercations among MPs, with reports indicating that the disorder escalated to the point where tables and microphones were damaged.
Speaking to the press on Monday, 3rd February, Mr Afenyo-Markin stressed that New Patriotic Party MPs protest was not intended to be disruptive or violent, but rather an exercise of their democratic rights.
Afenyo-Markin addressed critics who had condemned the NPP’s conduct, particularly focusing on the controversial demonstration outside Parliament, saying, “We are law-abiding, the NPP is known for its gentlemanliness. We don’t go physical, but we had to protest”. “Protest is part of democracy. It is our right…”
According to Afenyo-Markin, the NDC claimed to have a “super majority” and were not open to discussions or compromise.
He emphasized that the NPP’s protest was not an act of violence or destruction.
“Mr. Speaker and all those who are criticizing our conduct on Thursday night should critically watch the tape, the videos. We didn’t set out to destroy public property, we didn’t set out to disrupt. We protested,” he said.
The protest sparked a significant amount of debate, with some MPs accusing the NPP of undermining the decorum of the parliamentary process, while others praised their right to express dissent.
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