Bagbin supervising chaos - Afenyo-Markin

Accra, Ghana - Nov 7, 2024 - Ghana's Parliament has been adjourned indefinitely by Speaker Alban Bagbin, sparking criticism from Majority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin. Afenyo-Markin condemned the decision, calling it "supervising chaos" and detrimental to Ghana's democratic processes.

Procedural Dispute Leads to Adjournment

The adjournment was prompted by the absence of New Patriotic Party (NPP) members, allegedly due to a lack of business. However, Afenyo-Markin clarified that the NPP's absence was not driven by negligence, but rather a procedural dispute.

Order Paper Controversy

At the center of the dispute is the Clerk of Parliament's failure to print the agreed-upon Order Paper, which outlines issues and agenda items for discussion. Without this document, the session could not proceed, leaving the NPP unable to participate.

Misinterpretation and Misdirection

Afenyo-Markin emphasized that the absence of NPP MPs was misinterpreted as a lack of commitment to parliamentary business. He shifted the blame from the NPP to the administrative lapse that led to the adjournment.

Questionable Committee Meeting

Afenyo-Markin also questioned the legitimacy of a Business Committee meeting called by the NDC minority members, asking, “Who are they and when did we constitute a new committee in Parliament?

''I chair the Business Committee and when the Clerk of Parliament asked for the Business Committee meeting, I was explicit that the subject matter of the recall is the very matter for consideration and so there was no need to have another business committee.'' As chair of the Business Committee, he had explicitly directed that the Order Paper be printed to reflect approved items.

“What Mr. Speaker did today amounts to supervising chaos and bringing the image of democracy to disrepute. The NDC minority members were all over claiming that we, the Majority did not attend a so-called Business Committee meeting that they called.

“Business Committee is to decide on the business of the House and on this occasion, you have made an application which has been granted and the items that had been approved were the very things to be decided on so I directed that the Order Paper be printed to reflect all those items.”

Source: Lead News Online