The Kumbungu Member of Parliament, Ras Mubarak has defended the Minority caucus’ move to call the newly elected Member of Parliament for Ayawaso West Wuogon, Lydia Seyram Alhassan, a “bloody widow” in protest of the violence that marred the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election.
Speaking on Eyewitness News, he insisted that the Minority MP’s decision to wave papers which read “bloody widow” before they boycotted Lydia Alhassan’s swearing-in was not offensive.
[contextly_sidebar id=”AdyLTb82j4nmMQv8AbpHpVg4A2dpfQ5d”]“In English, when somebody says something is bloody, it means that we are unhappy about the thing. We are upset about it… I am sure you have heard expressions like a bloody liar, bloody idiot and the rest of it,” the National Democratic Congress MP argued.
Besides this, Mr. Mubarak also did not think Lydia Seyram Alhassan felt insulted by the Minority’s choice of words.
“I am not sure the sensibility of the person is in any way offended simply because we expressed in English using many adjectives.”
He further justified the Minority’s protest saying Lydia Alhassan was “a beneficiary of a system that was flawed.”
“Our compatriots who were in the candidates home were terrorized by these gun-wielding and gun-toting hoodlums. Ordinary voters were intimidated. There was harassment.”
Because of the “monumental level of violence unleashed by the NPP” in Ayawaso West Wuogon, Mr. Muburak stated that the protests will continue and that “anytime she [Lydia Alhassan] has an opportunity to speak on the floor of Parliament, we will turn a blind eye or simply walk out.”
Though the conduct of security personnel, who were seen in videos brutalizing some citizens during the by-election has been widely condemned, the Minority has also been criticized for attacking the person of Lydia Alhassan, who is the widow of the previous Ayawaso West Wuogon MP.
During the swearing-in the Deputy Majority Leader and MP for Dome Kwabenya, Sara Adwoa Safo described the Minority’s words as “so distasteful.”
Also speaking on Eyewitness News, the MP for Tano North, Freda Prempeh continued with the condemnation of the Minority MPs.
“This is something that is too bad for all of us as Ghanaians and I think that Minority should be ashamed, especially the women on the other side.”
She felt a happy day for women in politics had been ruined by the NDC MPs and called on them to apologise.
“Are they insulting widows? Are they insulting Ghanaians women? Are they insulting female parliamentarians?… It will do them more good to come out tomorrow and apologise to women and apologize to widows as well,” she said.
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By: Delali Adogla-Bessa | citinewsroom.com | Ghana