Parliament to reconvene early November – Speaker
The Office of the Speaker of Parliament is working towards the recall of the House in early November.
This follows the petition of New Patriotic Party (NPP) Caucus of the House to the Speaker to reconvene the meeting to consider urgent matters before it.
Speaker Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, told a five-member delegation of the Council of State, led by the Chairman, Nana Otuo Siriboe II, that his office had already the started processes to recall the House.
The delegation had paid a courtesy call on the Speaker to ascertain at first hand, happenings in the Legislature in recent times, resulting in the adjournment of the House indefinitely.
A statement issued by the Parliamentary Service, copied to the Ghana News Agency, said after a long deliberation, members of the Council assured the Speaker of their preparedness to assist him and the leadership of the House to resolve whatever impasse there may be, to pave the way for a recall of the House.
It said the Speaker gave a brief of the situation in Parliament and the basis of his pronouncements on the floor of the House.
He assured the delegation of his commitment to the development of the country’s democracy and its people.
Mr Speaker, however, informed the delegation that he was compelled to lead the Ghana Parliamentary delegation to attend the 67th Conference of the CPA International at Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
The Ghanaian delegation include Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, a former Majority Leader, and Member of Parliament for Suame, the two leaders of the House, two Whips, the Clerk to Parliament, and other officials of the Parliamentary Service.
It said the conference was to take place from the 3rd to the 8th of November, where Speaker Bagbin, the immediate past President of CPA International, was expected to hand over to the newly-elected President of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, the Speaker of the Parliament of New South Wales, Australia.
The Speaker, however, indicated that he would return to Ghana earlier than anticipated, due to a request by Members of Parliament to recall Parliament. According to the statement, the Council applauded the efforts of the Speaker, in keeping the democratic credentials of the country high, through efficient handling of the Legislature and his leadership as the President of Parliamentary Organisations, such as the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association International, (CPA), Conference of the Speakers and Presidents of African Legislatures (CoSHAL) and an Executive member of the International Legislative Advisory Council of the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) in the United States of America. It said Nana Otuo Siriboe encouraged him to continue with the good works in the interest of Ghana and all Ghanaians.
It said Speaker Bagbin had recently been elected to a second term as President of the Conference of Speakers and Presidents of African Legislatures. On Tuesday, October 22, Speaker Bagbin announced the indefinite suspension of the Parliamentary proceedings over the legal battle resulting from his declaration of four seats vacant.
The declaration on October 17 led to the National Democratic Congress (NDC) side claiming that they had become the Majority caucus because two of the seats belong to New Patriotic Party (NPP) members, who are running as independent candidates in the December 7 Election, with a third belonging to an independent candidate who is contesting on the NPP’s ticket.
The fourth belongs to the NDC side.The affected members are: Andrew Asiamah Amoako, the Second Deputy Speaker, and MP for the Fomena constituency, who is in Parliament as an independent member, Madam Cynthia, NPP Member for Agona West, Mr Kwadjo Asante, NPP Member for Suhum, and NDC Member for Amenfi Central, Peter Yaw Kwakye-Ackah.In adjournment proceedings, Speaker Bagbin told the House that he had received a communication from the Supreme Court, which directed him to stay his earlier ruling that declared four parliamentary seats vacant.
The Speaker said although they had the numbers to transact business, the House did not have the numbers to make decisions.
“Hon. members, we don’t have at least half of all the Members of Parliament present. Consequently, in view of the current circumstances, the fact that there’s a question on the composition and constitution of Parliament, and having regard to the public interest, and the exigencies of the affairs in Parliament, I will proceed to in accordance with standing order 59 adjourn the house indefinitely, that is sine die.
“Hon. members, I have consulted leadership and I’m exercising my discretion to decide to suspend the meeting of the house indefinitely – the House is accordingly.”
Before the declaration of the seats as vacant, the Majority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin had filed an application at the Supreme Court seeking to prevent the Speaker from making any ruling on the four seats, following a motion submitted by the Minority to declare those seats vacant.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court on Wednesday, October 30, refused the Speaker’s request to the apex court to overturn its decision to him, to suspend the declaration of the vacant seat decision in view of the Afenyo-Markin application before it.
It has, subsequently, fixed November 11, for its judgement on the substantive application filed by Mr Afenyo-Markin.
Source: GNA