Accra, Nov 15, GNA – Mr Prince Bagnaba Mba, President of Forum for Equity, a human right organisation has called for a constitutional amendment that will change the Council of State into the second Upper chamber of Parliament known as the Senate.
He said the current ongoing of flexing of muscles by the Speaker of Parliament and the subsequent over ruling by the Supreme Court called for the need for the Senate in the legislative arm of government.
“With the political maturity and population expansion, the Senate would act as the necessary valve to sanitise and check the excessive and exuberance of the lower house of Parliament,” he added.
Mr Mba who was sharing his views on the current Supreme Court-Parliament issues with the Ghana News Agency in Accra said Nigeria, the United States of America, and even Liberia were practising the two houses legislative system and its replication in Ghana would be apt.
“Experienced legislators could advance the Upper house to ensure a strong and efficient arm of the legislature”.
He said the present advisory role of the Council of State to the President was not only a duplication of the roles played by Presidential Advisors, but seemingly dormant, ineffective and an expensive organ not in tune with the reality of modern day governance.
“Prudence demands value for money. As we move ahead, changes for the better become eminently important and necessary for the search of democratic stability and advancement.”
Recently, there have been legal tussles between the Speaker of Parliament and the Supreme Courts.
While Speaker Alban Kingsford Sumana Bagbin, declared four seats vacant after invoking a constitutional provision, an indication that the Majority in Parliament would now be the Minority.
The Majority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin subsequently took the case to the Supreme Court, which reversed the ruling of the Speaker of Parliament.
After the ruling, Parliament is however yet to reconvene.
GNA