The Majority in Parliament has taken on Speaker Alban Bagbin over his response to President Nana Akufo-Addo over a letter to the House to cease transmitting the anti-LGBTQI+ bill for his assent.
In a letter to Parliament, the Secretary to the President, Nana Bediatuo Asante explained the directive was informed by two pending applications for an order of interlocutory injunction before the Supreme Court.
The applications sought to prevent Parliament from sending the Bill to the President and to restrain the President from signifying his assent to the Bill, pending the final determination of the matter.
In this regard, Speaker Bagbin on Wednesday suspended the approval of Akufo-Addo’s new ministerial nominees, stating he has also received an injunction against the exercise.
Mr Bagbin stated the President’s act was a departure from established democratic practices and also undermines the spirit of cooperative governance.
He further criticised the presidency for attempting to disregard the foundational principles enshrined in the 1992 Constitution.
Addressing a press conference following the suspension, Majority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin stated Speaker Bagbin is at liberty to disagree with the President and express opinions on his actions.
“Mr Speaker went beyond expressing disagreement and rather pronounced judgment on what in his view was wrong. Mr Speaker did not only stop there, he also used very unsavory words to describe Mr. President. We believe that in a democracy, we have our right to disagree on views expressed but we do not have the right to say things to denigrate another. This we think is very unacceptable,” he said.
However, the comments of Speaker Bagbin according to the Effutu MP must not aim at denigrating Akufo-Addo.
“Mr Speaker said the President has undermined democracy and that he should have resorted to the Constitution in making certain communications to the House. We in the Majority beg to disagree with the position taken by Mr Speaker. If you carefully read the letter that was sent to Parliament, Mr President limited himself to the process before the court and the fact that Parliament itself has filed an affidavit in opposition and is in court.
“In fact, Parliament is a party to the suit, so for us, we do not see how this would have to affect the proceedings of Parliament. In any event, Mr Speaker has always deferred to the leadership of the House to guide him in the conduct of business,” he stated.
The leader added the Speaker’s action was disappointing since he adjourned the House without taking comments from the parliamentary leadership.
“It is very disappointing that after Mr Speaker had made known his own views about the letter sent from the presidency to the clerk he adjourned the house without giving room for the leadership of the house to even comment.
“This we find very strange, this is a democracy and we believe, as Mr speaker himself said, that this impasse calls for reflection. I will play that out to Mr Speaker that we all need to reflect on the way forward as a nation,” he lamented.
Listen to the Majority Leader in the video above:
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