Majority unhappy with Speaker’s sole decision to adjourn Parliament

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) Parliamentary Majority has expressed unhappiness with the sole decision of Speaker Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin to adjourn the House sine die, without approving the President’s ministerial nominees.

A statement issued by Mr Alexander Kwamina Afenyo-Markin, the Majority Leader and Leader of Government Business, copied to the Ghana News Agency said: “Today, the 20th day of March, 2024, is a sad day for our democracy by reason of the arbitrary decision of Rt Hon Speaker Bagbin…”

“…. Who was visibly annoyed that a letter from the Office of the President informing the House about the injunctive processes in the Supreme Court relating to the transmission of the Human Sexual Rights and Family Value Bill 2024, is an affront to the dignity of Parliament and subversive of Ghana’s democratic process”.

It said the letter emanating from the Office of the President and under the hand of Nana Bediatuo Asante, the Secretary to the President, in substance, pointed to the fact that the President, having regard to the pending suit, directed the House not to transmit the Human Sexual Rights and Family Value Bill 2024 to the President.

“The President, having regard to Suit number J1/9/2024, Richard Sky versus The Parliament of Ghana and the Attorney General and Suit number J1/13/2023, Dr Amanda Odoi versus the Attorney General and the Speaker of Parliament in the Supreme Court with their injunctive process, and that the House should not transmit the Human Sexual Rights and Family Value Bill 2024 to the President,” the statement said.

It said the spirit of the President’s letter was conclusive that he was constitution-minded and would not undermine the Supreme Court of Ghana in its sacred role of administering justice.

The statement said the President was in no way being dictatorial in his communication to Parliament given the fact that the content of the letter was not binding on Mr Speaker.

“Mr Speaker, who has been out of the jurisdiction since Monday, occupied the Chair this evening … did not mince words at all in stating that the letter emanating from the Office of the President is an affront to Parliament and a contumacious behaviour of the President.”

It said the Majority asserted in no uncertain terms that the President was being law-abiding by reason of the injunctive processes pending before the Supreme Court and he did not undermine the Court’s powers to bring the administration of justice into disrepute.

On every interpretation and permutation, the letter from the Office of the President did not undermine the authority of Parliament as wrongly alleged by the Speaker, the statement said.

“Needless to say, the President’s letter did not breach any provision of the Constitution end significantly, Mr Speaker could not misconstrue the same as a continuous attempt by the Executive to subvert the constitutional order”.

The statement said it was a matter of regret that the Speaker arbitrarily…and on his own motion, adjourned the House indefinitely without the House considering the ministerial nominees who had been vetted and the reports on them duly laid for the consideration of Parliament.

It said the Speaker premised his decision on a monumental error that in Suit numbered J1/12/2024, filed on the 18th day of March 2024 between Rockson-Netson Etse K. Dafeamekpor versus the Speaker of Parliament and the Attorney-General, an injunction had been filed in the Supreme Court restraining him and the House from vetting, considering, and approving the President’s Ministerial Nominees.

It noted that even a casual reading of that Supreme Court action was clear that the Defeamekpor action and the injunctive process related to what he conceived as revoked ministers who had been reshuffled into new ministries.

“It beggars belief that our distinguished Speaker could not, or did not want to, appreciate what has been filed in the Supreme Court and which is very unconnected with the President’s Ministerial Nominees who have been vetted and are waiting for the House to approve their nominations,” the statement said.

‘It is our humble belief that it is the Speaker who is undermining our democracy and not Mr President,” it said.

The statement said the decision of the Speaker to adjourn the House without recourse to its members, especially the Leadership, was most arbitrary….and undemocratic.

Source: GNA