The New Patriotic Party’s Asante Akim South MP, Kwaku Asante-Boateng, has voiced concerns that the government’s hesitation in addressing illegal mining, or galamsey, stems from fears of losing votes in the upcoming December 7 elections.
He pointed out that in 2020, the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) firm stance against galamsey led to significant losses in several mining communities.
Speaking to journalists on Wednesday, October 2, Mr Asante-Boateng suggested that the reluctance to impose a total ban on mining activities is due to the potential political fallout.
He noted that, such a decision could cost the party votes in areas where illegal mining is widespread, a concern that has likely influenced the government’s approach.
The MP highlighted that this fear of losing votes is not unique to the NPP, arguing that any political party would face similar challenges when tackling galamsey in regions dependent on small-scale mining.
He defended the government’s cautious approach, acknowledging the political realities of balancing environmental concerns with electoral considerations.
Despite the challenges, Mr Asante-Boateng urged the government to continue finding ways to regulate mining activities while minimising the political risks, stressing the importance of addressing the environmental impact without alienating voters.
“We did it as a party and as a government before the 2020 elections. And if you can recount, all our seats in the mining communities that we were trying to control, we lost all the seats, the parliamentary seats there.”
“So do you think for the second time, if we say we want to break the 8 and people are crying for that ban, the current government will have the guts or will find it necessary to ban it?”
“The fear of losing power [is delaying the ban] and that fear can happen to any party at all.”
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