Politics of Wednesday, 6 April 2022
Source: www.ghanaweb.live
2022-04-06Referring truant MPs to Privileges Committee long overdue - Parliamentary Network Africa
Ghana's parliament
Three MPs referred to Privileges Committee
Muntaka to officially challenge Speaker
Speaker’s decision to refer truant MPs to privileges committee not a populist move - PNA
The Executive Director of the Parliamentary
Read full articleNetwork Africa, Sammy Obeng, has said the Speaker of Parliament’s decision to refer some truant Members of Parliament (MP) to the Privileges Committee is long overdue.
He however added that it is better late than never as the issues of MPs' absenteeism has been an issue of concern for many years.
Speaking on Asaase Radio, Sammy Obeng said “I think it is long overdue, however, it is better late than never. Because this matter of MP absenteeism to Parliament has been one that for many years radial of civil society, citizens, constituents, parliament itself and what have you.”
He further stated that the referral should have been made long ago.
“In this particular Parliament, this matter has come up severally and it was our expectation that Members of Parliament themselves would’ve used the appropriate forum; which is the chamber of Parliament to raise this matter so that this referral would’ve been made a long ago,” asaaseradio.com reports
Sammy Obeng also dismissed the notion that the Speaker's decision was a populist move.
“It is not a populist decision at all, Members of Parliament have a principal-agent relationship with the citizenry. We have given them a role to go play on our behalf. If their role which requires that they are in attendance to Parliament consistently, is reneged upon and they do not attend, it cannot be populist that they are being called to account. They’re being called to order, they’re being called to do exactly what they’ve been mandated to do; which is to be in Parliament, to legislate, to represent their people and to oversee the executive branch,” Obeng added.
Meanwhile, the Minority Chief Whip, Mohammed-Mubarak Muntaka, has challenged the Speaker’s decision to refer the three Members of Parliament to the Privileges Committee for absenteeism.
According to him, the issue should have been raised by a Member of Parliament or by civil society.
“The Minority Chief Whip said Mr. Speaker I disagree with your conclusion and Mr. Speaker I make reference to our standing order 76(1) and I read ‘every application to parliament shall be in a form of petition and every petition must be presented by a member of Parliament who shall be responsible for the observance of the rules of appendix A’. Mr Speaker, you yourself alluded to the fact that MPs would raise a matter that would be raised to the privileges committee and civil society equally do same.
“Mr. Speaker with the greatest of respect I disagree with you when you Mr Speaker want to do that yourself because it has to be a member of parliament who has to do that per our rules,” he said on April 5.
