IPAC has turned into a voting house against mutual consensus building — NDC justifies withdrawal

A former Health Minister under the Mahama-led administration, Mr. Alex Segbefia, has given reasons why the NDC opted out of the Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) post-2020 election.

He said IPAC was set up in 1994 to foster consensus-building among political parties.

Speaking as a guest on the Prime Morning show, Mr. Segbefia indicated that the Committee has now been turned into a voting house.

He lamented the current modus operandi of the IPAC which he noted has adopted a voting system of deliberations rather than the original form of mutual consensus building.

According to him, the current posture of IPAC is not yielding to consensus building among the political parties but a cheap avenue for the ruling party to buy the votes of smaller parties at IPAC meetings thus hinder the much-needed deliberations.

Citing the EU recommendations after the 2020 elections, Mr. Segbefia explained that the recommendations were to be subjected to serious deliberations with political parties arguing and defending their viewpoints on the issues raised and moving to reach a consensus on the way forward devoid of political bias and polarisation.

Unfortunately, the current EC led by Jean Mensah who doubles as head of IPAC has turned the whole idea of IPAC into “a majority wins all” institution, using the votes system, thereby ridding IPAC off its fundamental usefulness, hence the withdrawal of the NDC.

He however mentioned that the NDC is ever ready to return to the table if these issues are resolved, and the interests of the nation is put before their political and parochial interest.