Speaker Alban Bagbin has come under heavy criticism from the New Patriotic Party
The New Patriotic Party has criticised Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, for displaying a partisan posture during parliamentary proceedings on Tuesday, October 23, 2024.
Justin Frimpong Koduah, the General Secretary of the NPP, called on Bagbin, in a statement, to address issues concerning the House from a neutral standpoint and to avoid his partisan posture.
According to him, the constitution mandates the Speaker to act as a referee between the two factions in Parliament, not as a player by aligning with one side and displaying bias.
“The NPP wishes to use this opportunity to urge the Speaker of Parliament to eschew his extreme partisan posture when handling the affairs of the august house since he is not an MP. It is an extremely dangerous posture and threatens to undermine the very essence of our democracy.
“His mandate under the constitution as well as his oath of office enjoins him to act as a referee and not a player. The Speaker must appreciate the supremacy of the constitution and realise that neither Parliament nor himself is above the very constitution which created his office and from which he draws his authority in parliament.
“He must also realise that it is only the Supreme Court that has the mandate under the constitution to interpret and enforce all the provisions of the constitution,” parts of the statement read.
NPP’s statement comes on the back of the suspension of Parliament indefinitely by Alban Bagbin and the controversy surrounding the Majority and Minority seats.
Read NPP’s full statement below:
MAG/AE
In the meantime, follow Ernestina Asante as she tours the Asokwa Constituency and speaks with MP Patricia Appiagyei in this episode of Campaign Trail on GhanaWeb TV: