By Ashiadey Dotse
Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin has defended his decision to describe the Clerk of Parliament as “partisan,” saying his experiences as Majority Leader influenced his view.
Speaking on the GTV breakfast show with Thelma Tackie on Monday, January 3, 2025, Mr. Afenyo-Markin recalled instances where he felt the Clerk showed bias in her work. According to him, while he was Majority Leader, the Clerk often delayed reports when it did not favor certain interests but worked swiftly in other cases.
“There was a situation where we needed to lay a report, but she insisted that Dr. Ato Forson the then minority leader had to review it before she would sign. She waited until Dr. Forson’s inputs were properly captured before releasing it. Even the writing of that report alone took her more than two weeks,” he claimed.
However, he stated that currently, she is able to prepare a report within a much shorter time compared to when he was the leader at that time. “Now, reports are ready within 24 hours. Sometimes, by the evening of the same day, the report is out. This was not the case when I was Majority Leader,” he said.
Mr. Afenyo-Markin suggested that these actions demonstrated a level of bias in how the Clerk handled parliamentary duties.
Reflecting on his past decisions, he admitted that there were times he could have acted differently but emphasized that, in certain situations, survival was key.
“You always reflect and think you could have done things better, but sometimes, looking at the situation, you need to survive,” he added.
He also mentioned an incident on Friday morning where a meeting had been agreed upon, but instead of proceeding as planned, a different event took place, which he found concerning.
