Hung Parliament presents opportunity to correct past errors—Bagbin

Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin has said the current hung Parliament presents the legislature with the unique opportunity to correct some errors in the past.

He said one such opportunity he was pursuing was a process that would ensure that the legislature was strengthened to play its role of an equal partner in the delivery of an open, transparent and accountable government.

Speaker Bagbin made the observation when he addressed the opening of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Trade and Security workshop at Parliament House in Accra.

The conference, which is on the theme: “Trade and Security: Effective Parliaments in times of complexities” is being attended by participants from Commonwealth countries including; Rwanda which joined the association in 2009.

He explained that as part of the strategic objective of Ghana’s Parliament, enhancing accountability and facilitating the sustenance of Ghana’s democracy remains foremost on the agenda of the legislature.

“I am a believer of what Lijphart describes as “constitutional democracy”—a process of arriving at decisions through the most representative parliamentary coalition possible” he added.

He also urged the two major parties in Parliament to ensure consensus building, compromise, and broader consultation to avoid the chaos that characterized proceedings in the House.

Mr Albert Kan Dapaah, Minister for National Security commenting on the latest political development in Ghana noted that though 2022 marked the 30th year of Ghana’s 4th Republican constitution, the current legislature found itself in what could be described as parliamentary crisis unprecedented in the history of the country.

He said near hung nature of the 8th Parliament of the 4th republic where none of the two major parties could claim overwhelming majority introduced a strange phenomenon to Ghana’s democracy.

He said earlier days of the unfamiliar journey was rough, tough and turbulent, which occasioned politics of rancour and occasionally fist fights threatening to undo the democratic gains made thus far.

Mr Kan Dapaah however stated that objective diagnosis of the current legislative situation was the first step towards avoiding the pitfalls in relation to the hung Parliament and the tools needed to conduct business in the House are completely different.

He said consensus building and broader consultation among the leaders of the House should be encouraged rather than the confrontational means which he said would not yield desired results.