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Parliament
argues over "leadership of the house" title
Accra, Jan. 29, Ghanadot/GNA – Parliament on
Thursday argued over whether Majority Leader, Mr Alban
Bagbin be allowed to assume the title “Leader of the House”.
The matter came up for debate, when the Mr. Bagbin, moved a
procedural motion for the endorsement of a five-member
committee to advise the Speaker, Justice Joyce Bamford-Addo,
on the appointment of members to the Parliamentary Service
Board.
The motion had stood in the name of Mr. Bagbin, as Majority
Leader and as Leader of the House, which was contested by
the NPP member for Sekondi, Papa Owusu-Ankomah.
The member for Sekondi had questioned whether it was right
for Mr Bagbin to assume the title “Leader of the House”,
since the NDC, then in opposition, had always kicked against
the NPP Majority Leader, describing himself as Leader of the
House in the previous Parliament.
Minority Leader, Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, however said
although the NDC in opposition, had kicked against that
position, yet in all civilized democracies, the practice was
that the Majority Leader was also the Leader of the House
and represented Parliament as a leader when the need arose.
He therefore said although the NDC had kicked against this
conventional practice previously, it was okay for Mr Bagbin
to now double up as Leader of the House.
Mr Hackman Owusu-Agyemang, MP for New Juaben-North, said the
NDC thought they would never move to the majority side and
had in the previous Parliament kicked against this position.
He said if they had now accepted this position now that they
were the Majority side, it should be put on record for a
reference point for the future.
Mrs Gifty Kusi, a Minority Chief Whip, said they, as NPP
members, wanted peace and were therefore giving the
leadership of the house to Mr Bagbin as a gift.
The House later approved the motion for the membership of
the committee to advise the Speaker to co-opt members onto
the Parliamentary Service Board.
The Board, when set up, would be under the chairmanship of
the Speaker and is expected to help in the effective
administration of the Legislature among other duties.
Members of the Committee, include Majority Leader, Mr Alban
Bagbin, Minority Leader, Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, Mr John
Tia, Deputy Majority Leader and the NPP member for Sekondi,
Papa Owusu-Ankomah.
GNA
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