By Iddi Yire
Accra, Aug. 08, GNA – Speaker Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, has summoned Parliament to meet on Tuesday, September 3, at a place and venue to be communicated as soon as one becomes available.
The Speaker’s decision to recall the House follows a petition by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Parliamentary Majority Caucus requesting that the Speaker recall the House to carry out some urgent business of the Government.
He said with the Chamber of Parliament under renovation, finding an alternative venue on short notice would be impractical, costly, and an unnecessary strain on Parliament and public funds.
Speaker Bagbin in a statement, which was made available to the Ghana News Agency said: “The request before me was brought pursuant to Article 112 (3) of the Constitution and Order 53 of the Standing Orders of Parliament, and not Article 113, which deals with emergency matters”.
Article 112 (3) of the 1992 Constitution provides that: “Notwithstanding any other provision in this article, fifteen percent of members of Parliament may request a meeting of Parliament and the Speaker shall, within seven days after the receipt of the request, summon Parliament.”
Similarly, Order 53 of the Standing Orders of Parliament reinforces this constitutional provision by stating that: “Despite any other provision, 15 per cent of Members of Parliament may request a meeting of Parliament and the Speaker shall, within seven days after the receipt of the request, summon Parliament. Parliament shall convene within seven days after the issuance of the notice of summon.”
Speaker Bagbin said while these provisions were clear and unambiguous, it was essential to consider the broader context in which they were intended to operate.
He said Article 112 was designed to be invoked in normal times when Parliament is on recess and a need arises in the national interest for Parliament to address.
Speaker Bagbin said it was crucial that MPs were given time to fulfil their Constituency duties, which were fundamental to the democratic process.
The Speaker said if MPs were continually summoned back to Parliament for Meetings that could be scheduled within the regular parliamentary calendar, this balance would be disrupted, the relevance of MPs lost, and their service to the constituents ineffective and of no value.
Touching on compliance with the recall Provisions, Speaker Bagbin said a literal understanding of Article 112 (3) and Order 53, without consideration for the context and purpose behind these provisions, could lead to an absurd situation where Parliament was kept in perpetual meetings.
Speaker Bagbin said most of the issues, including the $250 million IDA financing agreement, were already tabled before the House prior to the adjournment on 30th July 2024.
He said the fact that these matters were already under consideration by Parliament and, in the case of the IDA Financing Agreement, were even subjected to debate and rejected, undermines the essence of the request for a recall.
“Indeed, several of the bills listed on the request are bills that are still under consideration at (the) Committee”.
Speaker Bagbin said due to the ongoing renovation works in the chamber, and the period required to recondition the AICC, adhering strictly to the requirement of the Standing Orders that Parliament convenes within seven days after the notice is issued would impose significant practical challenges.
“To address these practical concerns, and to allow sufficient time for preparations, as I intimated several times to the House before the adjournment sine die, I summon Parliament to meet on Tuesday, 3rd of September 2024, at a place and venue to be communicated as soon as one becomes available. Order 53 cannot therefore be fully complied with.”
The Speaker said: “I assure the public that I remain committed to my Oath to inter alia “faithfully and consciously discharge my duties as Speaker of Parliament.””
GNA