Vacant seat controversy: Parliament is moving away from its values – Joe Wise

First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Joseph Osei-Owusu also known as Joe Wise has asserted that Parliament is deviating from its core values as a law-making body.

The Bekwai MP made the statement while reacting to the current controversy in Parliament over the vacancy of some four seats and Speaker Bagbin’s declaration thereof.

Speaking on Hot Issues with TV3’s Keminni Amanor on Sunday, November 03, 2024, Joseph Osei-Owusu noted that significant differences between the Majority and Minority caucuses of the House have always been discussed behind closed doors and settled amicably, wondering why this has been left to the public eye.

“We are moving away from the values of Parliament. How Parliament had run over the years. We are demonstrating the worst part of us.

“Even in the past, there have always been significant differences between the Majority and the Minority, it is this time that we have almost equal members. That’s the worst part of us in manifesting but also maybe a reflection of the times.,” he said.

Controversy over seats a bad reflection on Parliament – First Deputy Speaker

The lawmaker believes the House is currently engaged in “too much drama” over issues which could be easily be resolved.

According to him, the drama in Parliament is because of the many young MPs in the House, stating that when he joined the House, there was matured leadership with focus on important things.

“I regret to observe. I think there are too many young people in Parliament now, the older you grow, the more drama doesn’t appeal to you. You want results and getting results mean focusing on the critical things. There is too much drama on things that we could easily discuss,” he added.

“When I joined the leaders were a lot more matured, a lot more committed and focusing on the critical things. The things that are a lot more valued to Ghanaians than the things that divide us as a Parliament.”

The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin has recalled Parliament to sit on November 7. This comes after he adjourned the House indefinitely due to a lack of quorum quorum in its last sitting when the Members from the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) boycotted the House.

In a notice by the Office of the Speaker on October 31, Alban Bagbin explained that his decision is pursuant to article 112(3) and orders 5 and 53 of the Standing Orders of the House.

Prior to the summon by the Speaker, the House had been adjourned indefinitely by Bagbin following the Supreme Court’s order for a stay of execution of his declaration of four seats vacant.

The stay of execution was ordered by the Apex Court after an ex parte application filed by Afenyo-Markin which sought to set aside Alban Bagbin’s declaration of four seats vacant on October 17, 2024.

The Speaker in his reliefs prayed the court to strike out its stay of execution of his ruling on the declaration of the four seats vacant, among others.

The Speaker further sought an order from the court to set aside the writ filed by the Leader of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) caucus, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, which sought to prevent the Speaker from making any ruling on the four seats.

However, the court in a ruling on Wednesday, October 30, 2024, dismissed the application by the Speaker to set aside its earlier ruling that stayed the execution of the Speaker’s declaration of four seats vacant.

The court said the Speaker’s application had no merit. The case was adjourned to November 11 and Speaker has been directed to file processes before the same date.

The Apex Court will be interpreting Article 97 of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana which outlines the tenure of office for Members of Parliament on November 11.

The post Vacant seat controversy: Parliament is moving away from its values – Joe Wise first appeared on 3News.

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