The Majority group in Parliament has condemned the Speaker, Alban S.K. Bagbin’s indefinite adjournment of Parliament and his handling of the Supreme Court’s injunction on the House on Wednesday 20th March 2024.
According to the Majority, the Speaker’s actions were arbitrary and detrimental to the nation’s governance and democratic processes.
The side also defended President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s adherence to what it says are legal proceedings and his refusal to receive the contentious Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill 2024.
The Speaker adjourned Parliament sine die in apparent response to the refusal of President Akufo-Addo to receive the anti-gay bill for his assent or otherwise citing two interlocutory injunctions from the Supreme Court.
He indicated the House is also unable to continue the process of vetting and approval of nominees for ministerial appointments due to a similar interlocutory injunction served on Parliament.
The Majority labelled this move as ‘arbitrary and capricious, and based on a misunderstanding of the legal actions filed in the Supreme Court, which they argue, are unrelated to the President’s nominees.
“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 gargantuan contradiction of Mr Speaker is that, while he accuses Mr President of respecting mere injunction applications, he will respect a mere injunction application whether or not it touches on Parliament’s work,” the statement said.
The Majority argued that President Akufo-Addo’s actions, influenced by the Supreme Court injunctions, were in line with respecting the rule of law and did not in any way undermine the authority of the judiciary.
“The President was being law-abiding because of the injunctive processes pending before the Supreme Court,” they stated.
The statement accused the Speaker of impeding critical governmental functions, including the approval of tax waivers, laying of papers, and consideration of bills, thereby undermining the economy and the government’s ability to function.
“Mr Speaker has torpedoed the Government’s work by depriving the President and Ghana of the able men and women who will assist him in running the Government machinery. It is our humble belief that it is the Speaker who is undermining our democracy and not Mr President.”
“The consequences are clear that the economy will suffer and Government business will be undermined because of the pleasure of one man,” the Majority contended.
Turning its guns on the minority National Democratic Congress (NDC), the Majority accused the side of conspiring with the Speaker to sabotage the government.
They slammed the NDC for lacking credible solutions to Ghana’s economic challenges and thereby attempting to mislead Ghanaians for political gain.
“The NDC is bereft of ideas…Ghanaians will not return them to power come December 2024,” the statement declared.
The Majority described the day as a sad one for Ghana’s democracy.