On October 22, 2024, the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Kingsford Sumana Bagbin, adjourned the sitting of Parliament sine die over which party constituted the majority in the legislative house.
It would be recalled that the impasse followed the decisions by two Members of Parliament (MPs) from the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) and one from the opposition New Democratic Congress (NDC) to contest the December 7, 2024 elections as independent candidates while an independent member of the House announced contesting on the ticket of the ruling NPP.
Meanwhile, the country now operates a hung parliament in which the NPP and the NDC each has 137 members with the independent joining the NPP to form the majority.
However, following the decisions by the four MPs, the opposition NDC alluded to Article 97 (g) and (h) of the country’s 1992 Constitution, which should be applied to revoke the membership of the four MPs.
Thinking that that application was not in doubt, the NDC caucus in Parliament saw itself as the majority with 136 members and considered the NPP as minority with 135.
As such the NDC members assumed the seats of the majority on October 22 at the sitting which was to take a decision on the matter.
However, the NPP members boycotted that sitting and the Speaker wisely adjourned the sitting of the House sine die.
That smart decision has caused some consultations, interactions and discussions in certain quarters and The Ghanaian Times believes the efforts have yielded something positive.
The Speaker of Parliament is reported to have recalled Members of the House to an emergency sitting tomorrow (November 7) pursuant to Article 112 of the 1992 Constitution and Standing Orders 5 and 53, which enjoin the Speaker to summon Parliament if a request is made by at least 15 per cent of all legislators.
Article 112 (3) specifically provides that “notwithstanding any other provision of this Article, 15 per cent of Members of Parliament may request a meeting of Parliament and the Speaker shall, within seven days after the receipt of the request, summon Parliament.”
Per a notice of summon issued by the Speaker on Thursday, October 31, 2024, the sitting would commence at 10 a.m at the Accra International Conference Centre.
The recall was necessitated by a recall memo signed by 83 Members of the Majority caucus on October 22, 2024 for an emergency sitting; barely 48 hours after the Speaker adjourned the House sine die.
The Ghanaian Times hopes that tomorrow’s sitting will be one at which cool heads would reign to block any partisan and entrenched positions that would prevent it from being productive.
The life of the current parliament is left with just two months to end on January 6, 2025, yet it has a lot to do and so anything done to jeopardise the mandate left can affect the nation rather than the interest of any particular party.
It is therefore heartwarming to learn that the recall is made in utmost good faith and in the national interest to enable the Government to discharge its constitutional and democratic obligations to the people of Ghana.
Be informed that without Parliament sitting, it cannot, for instance, approve the 2025 budget neither can it decide on the Legislative Instrument meant to revoke mining in forest reserves, which is the heartbeat of organised labour.
Also, it cannot approve the 250-dollar Ghana Stability Fund and the 250-dollar Ghana Energy Sector loan.
The Ghanaian Times therefore entreats MPs to see tomorrow’s sitting as very significant as its success would lead to more fruitful ones to prove that Parliament exists for the national good and not for the parochial interest of political parties.