NDC youth activists want Mills' critic out

Activists in the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the lower Manya Constituency of the Eastern Region are demanding the resignation of their area’s Member of Parliament (MP). The group’s agitation follows recent pronouncements by MP Michael Teye Nyaunu seeking to discredit President John Evans Atta Mills. Mr Nyaunu recently told Joy News he doubted the Mills government’s ability to implement policies in the 2010 budget given that nothing had been achieved in the first year. The group said the MP’s outbursts were irresponsible, unguarded, and have caused disaffection within the constituency. “We call on the honourable MP… to resign now, to resign now,” spokesperson for the group David Walter Hormenu said amid loud applause from his colleagues at a news conference. He said “even though the honourable MP has the right to comment on issues of the government’s performance in Parliament, or elsewhere, we think he has gone too far in the comments and the explanations [in the media].” Mr Hormenu also accused the MP of sending thugs to disrupt an earlier scheduled news conference. The group’s spokesman cited a statement the MP made during the lead-up to the 2008 elections suggesting that then-candidate Mills was not healthy enough to go through the rigours of an election campaign. At a news conference, Mr Hormenu said “the same Michael Teye Nyaunu proclaimed to the whole world that Prof Atta Mills was sick and not fit for president because he [Prof Mills] was not strong enough,” he said. “These unguarded and undiplomatic utterances gave the NDC’s opponents, especially the NPP, cheap propaganda message.” He said the youth in the area would have nothing to do with the MP’s comments. Reacting to the issues, Mr Nyaunu described the youth activists' call as "infantile," adding he is above engaging in such debate. He also denied an accusation that he disrupted an earlier press conference by youth in his constituency. Source: Myjoyonline.com/Ghana