By Edzorna Francis Mensah
The Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin, in a two-page memo addressed to the Leader of Government Business in Parliament and MP for Effutu Alexander Afenyo-Markin, has turned down his recall petition.
Mr. Speaker in the memo noted that, the House will resume sitting after the elections to complete all essential matters before a seamless transition to the 9th Parliament of the Fourth Republic of Ghana and that, “I accordingly suggest that government prioritizes these businesses together with others not captured by your memo for consideration after the conduct of the General elections on the 7th of December 2024”.
The memo dated 26th November 2024, SUBJECT : RE: REQUEST TO RECALL PARLIAMENT TO CONSIDER OUTSTANDING PUBLIC BUSINESS noted that this season is for the Government, Parties, and both presidential and parliamentary candidates to present their manifestoes to the people, and to account and justify how the mandate given them by the voters for the four-year term of office has been applied to the benefit of the people.
He further stated that “bearing in mind the provisions of Article 296 (a) and (b) of the Constitution, 1992, and the closeness of your proposed dates to the general election, I am of the considered opinion, that it would not be in the national interest to interrupt the campaigns of members and parties by a recall to plenary sitting of Parliament.
Consequently, it will not be fair to exercise my discretion in favor of your request to summon Members of Parliament at this time to a two-day sitting”.
The Speaker’s write-up was in response to a memo on the above subject, which was received at the Office of the Speaker on Friday, 22nd November 2024, at a time when he was out of the office to honor an invitation outside Accra.
The memo calls on the Speaker to exercise his discretion, under Orders 57(3) and 58(4) of the Standing Orders of the House, to summon the House to sit for two days, Thursday 28″ and Friday 29″ November 2024, to consider twenty-two (22) items, all of which Leader of Government Business referred to as either outstanding public business or urgent Government Business.
But the Speaker, in response, mentioned that “as you may be aware, the performance of the functions of Parliament and the duties of members of Parliament extends beyond the plenary sittings of Parliament.
Again as you are aware, the parliamentary calendar acknowledges elections campaign periods”.
In the circumstances, I am neither inclined nor disposed to exercise my discretion in favour of your request”, the Speaker added.
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