By Ashiadey Dotse
The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, has turned down a request by the Majority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, to reconvene Parliament before the December 7 general elections.
Speaker Bagbin stated that Parliament would resume after the elections to address key issues and ensure a smooth transition to the next Parliament. He emphasized that recalling the House during the campaign season would not be in the national interest.
Parliament was adjourned indefinitely on November 7 due to the lack of a prepared agenda from the Business Committee. In a memo dated November 22, Afenyo-Markin had asked the Speaker to recall the House on November 28 and 29 to address 22 urgent government and public business items.
However, in his response, Speaker Bagbin noted that the timing of the request clashed with election campaigns, which are crucial for political parties and candidates to present their plans to the public. He added that the two-day period proposed by the Majority Leader was insufficient to address the 22 items.
“It would not be fair to interrupt the campaigns of members and parties for a recall,” the Speaker stated. He urged the government to prioritize the pending matters and schedule them for consideration after the elections.
Bagbin concluded by calling on members to demonstrate “honor, empathy, and humility” in performing their duties. Parliament is expected to resume after December 7 to complete its work before transitioning to the 9th Parliament of the Fourth Republic.
