I’m not part of Parliament per the Constitution – Bagbin

Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin has stated that a lot of people still do not understand the nature of the 8th Parliament hence, the complaints against the way business is conducted in the House.

He said senior members of the Ghanaian society are always raising issues with the acrimonious nature of proceedings in the Parliament.

But, he explained, the equal numbers, 137-137 for both the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) with one independent legislator, has resulted in the heated manner in which proceedings are carried out.

Mr Bagbin said this when he swore into office executives of the Parliamentary press corps on Monday April 4.

He appealed to the journalists to keep explaining the nature of this particular Parliament to Ghanaians in order for the populace to appreciate the way things are done in the House.

He said: “People don’t understand why this behaviour of the current Parliament is different from the previous one. This current Parliament is not the same as previous Parliament.

“I think not all of them anticipated that it will happen this way. But you, the press corps, are here, you are to assist us explain to the people.

“Sometimes some very senior people come to me and they ask, why is Parliament now acrimonious?

“When it comes to push and pull, the numbers are equal, the independent stands alone and I am not a member of Parliament. If you look at Article 93, actually I am not, I am not defined as part of Parliament.”