Ex-Majority leader and Member of Parliament for Suame, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, has defended the Vice President and presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia.
This was after Dr. Bawumia was heavily criticized over his promises to stop the continuity of certain policies introduced by the current administration.
Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu explained that as Vice President, Dr. Bawumia is only an adviser to President Akufo-Addo and has no executive power to implement or abolish policies.
He further mentioned past presidents who succeeded themselves but introduced new manifestos, highlighting that circumstances and societal needs change over time.
Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu said: “President Rawlings succeeded himself in 1996. Did he have the same manifesto as he had in 1992? The 1996 manifesto of the NDC was significantly different from the 1992 even though Rawlings succeeded himself.
President Kufour succeeded himself, the second stanza of his administration, the manifesto was marketed differently because society is dynamic.
President Mahama, when he succeeded President Mills, didn’t have the same manifesto, he didn’t repeat the same manifesto because circumstances have changed. This should be obvious. Executive authority in this country is vested in one person.
The Vice President is an adviser to the president, he’s the prime adviser. It doesn’t mean that whatever is proposed by the Vice President should be taken by the president because as I said, the executive authority is in one person.