Prime News Ghana

Parliament to reconvene early November – Speaker

By Primenewsghana
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The Office of the Speaker of Parliament is working towards the recall of the House in early November.

This follows the petition of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Caucus of the House to the Speaker to reconvene the meeting to consider urgent matters before it.

Speaker Alban Bagbin, told a five-member delegation of the Council of State, led by the Chairman, Nana Otuo Siriboe II, that his office had already started processes to recall the House.

The delegation had paid a courtesy call on the Speaker to ascertain first-hand, happenings in the Legislature in recent times, resulting in the adjournment of the House indefinitely.

A statement issued by the Parliamentary Service said after a long deliberation, members of the Council assured the Speaker of their preparedness to assist him and the leadership of the House to resolve whatever impasse there may be, to pave the way for a recall of the House.

It said the Speaker gave a brief of the situation in Parliament and the basis of his pronouncements on the floor of the House.

He assured the delegation of his commitment to the development of the country’s democracy and its people.

Mr Speaker, however, informed the delegation that he was compelled to lead the Ghana Parliamentary delegation to attend the 67th Conference of the CPA International in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.

The Ghanaian delegation includes Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, a former Majority Leader, and Member of Parliament for Suame, the two leaders of the House, two Whips, the Clerk to Parliament, and other officials of the Parliamentary Service.

It said the conference was to take place from the 3rd to the 8th of November, where Speaker Bagbin, the immediate past President of CPA International, was expected to hand over to the newly-elected President of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, the Speaker of the Parliament of New South Wales, Australia.

The Speaker, however, indicated that he would return to Ghana earlier than anticipated, due to a request by Members of Parliament to recall Parliament.

According to the statement, the Council applauded the efforts of the Speaker, in keeping the democratic credentials of the country high, through efficient handling of the Legislature and his leadership as the President of Parliamentary Organisations, such as the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association International, (CPA), Conference of the Speakers and Presidents of African Legislatures (CoSHAL) and an Executive member of the International Legislative Advisory Council of the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) in the United States of America.

It said Nana Otuo Siriboe encouraged him to continue with the good works in the interest of Ghana and all Ghanaians.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court on Wednesday, October 30, refused the Speaker’s request to the apex court to overturn its decision, to suspend the declaration of the vacant seat decision in view of the Afenyo-Markin application before it.

It has, subsequently, fixed November 11, for its judgement on the substantive application filed by Mr Afenyo-Markin.