The National Democratic Party (NDP) has registered its disappointment and disapproval of President John Dramani Mahama’s pardon for the Montie trio who were convicted and jailed for contempt of the Supreme Court.
In a press release, the NDP condemned the action of the President and described it as hypocritical on his part for condemning the use of foul language and invectives but condoning same.
The NDP, in its release signed by the General Secretary, Mohammed Frimpong, registered its utmost disappointment and outright disapproval of the decision of President Mahama to exercise powers granted him under Article 72 of the Constitution, to authorise the release of the Montie trio.
NDP stance
The NDP noted that coming swiftly after the Supreme Court had sentenced the “Montie 3” to prison custody for using intemperate language, the action represents an endorsement of the use of foul and invective language on our airwaves by the President.
Secondly and more importantly, the President’s action is a slap in the face of the Judiciary as well as an action that undermines the Judiciary in the effective discharge of their Constitutional powers and that the action has stuck a finger in the face of the Judiciary as it has stultified and frustrated their attempts to have decent language on our airwaves.
"The President’s action represents an unqualified endorsement of the erosion of the authority of the Judiciary as well as giving fuel to irresponsible political talk. The presidential pardon is all the more perplexing given that there was gradually developing in political discourse a climate of indiscipline, intolerance and the spewing of unpalatable invectives directed at political personalities; our flag bearer included, which the Supreme Court’s sanction of imprisonment ostensibly was meant to serve as a deterrent but which has been neutralised by the Presidential pardon,’’ the release said.
It said “we in the NDP consider the Presidential pardon and by extension the advice of the President to the people of Ghana to refrain from the use of such language as hypocritical and ironic as the act of pardon was a direct antithesis of the import of such advice’’ and expressed the hope that this action of the President does not encourage the professional “bad mouthers” to go on an insulting spree, fortified in the knowledge that no harm shall ever befall them.
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