Two Minority Members of Parliament (MP), Asuogyaman MP, Thomas Ampem Nyarko and Kumbungu’s Ras Mubarak, Tuesday evening, carried their disagreement over the powers of the Speaker onto The Big Agenda.
The dispute started in Parliament when Speaker Mike Aaaron Oquaye asked all MPs to undergo Covid-19 tests, threatening to bring sanctions against defaulters.
While Mr Nyarko disputed the Speaker’s right to enforce such a punishment, Mr Mubarak upheld the authority.
On The Big Agenda on Adom TV, the Asuogyaman MP said while the call for all MPs to undergo testing was in order, the Speaker’s threat of punishment was unnecessary and made him look like an arbitrary headmaster.
On his part, the Kumbungu MP reaffirmed that the Speaker could penalise any unruly MP. To illustrate how, he said the Speaker could demote a front-bench occupant by making him/her go to the back bench.
He said a Speaker could also remove an MP from a sub-committee or even suspend him.
The issue of the Speaker’s power arose as reports emerge that two MPs had caught the coronavirus.
Director of Parliament’s Public Affairs, Kate Addo, was called for clarification. She indicated that all MPs so far tested have proven negative.
