The Minority Leader, Osahene Alexander Afenyo-Markin, yelled at the Speaker, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin in parliament yesterday, for describing his side as a “micro-minority.”
During proceedings of the 9th Parliament on Wednesday, January 8, 2025 the Effutu Member of Parliament (MP), Afenyo-Markin, strongly objected to the minority being described as ‘micro’ and issued a caveat that not even the Speaker nor members of the majority should ever refer to his side as a micro-minority.
According to him, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) MPs in the 9th Parliament are the Minority Caucus, and urged that they be referred to as that and nothing more.
“Mr. Speaker, we protest the description [micro minority] given to us by Mr. Speaker. We find this unacceptable,” the Minority Leader said.
Though such description had been used on the floor severally by the NDC MPs before the 8th Parliament was dissolved after the December 7 polls, it being used by Speaker Bagbin appeared to be the last straw to break the camel’s back.
The House was correcting votes and proceedings for Tuesday, January 7, 2025 when a member on the side of the minority was heckled by the majority.
The Speaker, who noticed that the heckling had gone beyond normal levels, announced to members that the duties of the Speaker included protecting “the micro-minority.”
He said, “Let it be known by all of you that it is part of the duty of the Speaker to protect the micro-minority.”
PROTEST
The description did not augur well with the NPP MPs, who all stood on their feet to register their displeasure, which caught the attention of the Speaker.
In furtherance, the Minority Leader was given the floor by the Speaker to articulate his views.
He said, “Mr. Speaker, with respect, I shall, in response to what you just said about your duty to protect the micro-minority. Mr. Speaker, the rules of the House provide for the minority and the majority. Mr. Speaker, we do not have any micro-minority; the minority caucus hereby protests.
He continued that, “Mr. Speaker, we protest the description given to us by Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we find this unacceptable. We don’t accept the description micro-minority”; we are a minority, simplicita, I so submit.”
BAGBIN AGREES
The Speaker, in response to the protest of the minority, “totally” agreed to the position of the minority caucus.
Though some members of the majority wanted to comment on the issue, Speaker Bagbin declined the request, saying “This is not subject to debate.”
He continued that, “the minority leader on behalf of the minority caucus has objected to my describing their caucus as a micro-minority caucus and that this is a term that is unknown to the rules of the House; he is totally right.
“The objection is to the fact that it should not be formally recognised by the records of parliament. I agree with you.”
He recalled that in a previous parliament, the majority was referred to as populous majority and there was no problem because that was “edifying.”
However, micro-minority is “not edifying,” and thus assured the minority that it would not be used going forward.
The term micro-minority was coined by the NDC MPs to reflect the size of their opponents in the House, as the NPP MPs are not up to 100 members in the House.
FIRST COMMITTEE
Meanwhile, at the time of filing this report in the evening of yesterday, the 9th Parliament had composed its first committee, which began work right after the House adopted the proposed names.
It was the Select Committee consisting of about 17 members of Parliament; 12 and five from the majority and minority, respectively. The ratio reflects the number of seats both sides occupy in the House.
The Select Committee is to put together members for the other committees of Parliament, after which the 9th Parliament would fully sail.
The post Afenyo Markin Rejects Micro-Minority Tag appeared first on The Ghanaian Chronicle.
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