Three MPs referred to Privileges Committee
MPs challenge Speaker’s directive
Pollster and Managing Editor of the Daily Dispatch, Ben Ephson, has said the Speaker of Parliament’s directive to refer three truant MPs to the Privileges Committee, which is being challenged by the Minority Chief Whip, Mohammed-Mubarak Muntaka, is likely to end up at the Supreme Court for interpretation.
According to him, the Minority Chief Whip’s action shows that Ghana’s democracy has grown.
“Ghana’s democracy has grown over time and I think Muntaka has done very well. I am sure the matter will end up in the Supreme Court for interpretation,” 3news quoted.
On April 5, the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, referred three Members of Parliament to the Privileges Committee for absenteeism.
This comes after a former Kumbungu lawmaker, Ras Mubarak, sent a petition for action to be taken against truant MPs.
Reacting to the directive, the Minority Chief Whip, Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, challenged the Speaker’s decision.
He said the issue should have been raised by a Member of Parliament or by civil society.
“The Minority Chief Whip said Mr. Speaker I disagree with your conclusion and Mr. Speaker I make reference to our standing order 76(1) and I read ‘every application to parliament shall be in a form of petition and every petition must be presented by a member of Parliament who shall be responsible for the observance of the rules of appendix A’. Mr Speaker, you yourself alluded to the fact that MPs would raise a matter that would be raised to the privileges committee and civil society equally do same.
“Mr. Speaker with the greatest of respect I disagree with you when you Mr Speaker want to do that yourself because it has to be a member of parliament who has to do that per our rules,” he said.
He argued that for the Speaker to be allowed to take petitions from outsiders will be the greatest disservice to the members of the house.
“… If we allow Speakers to take petition from outsiders to refer MPs to privileges committee, colleagues we will be doing ourselves the greatest disservice. Because we will one day get a dictator speaker who will one day take statements from outsiders and begin to penalize members of parliament. It’s on this basis that I call on all of us that we resist the attempt by Mr Speaker to refer our colleagues to the privileges committee,” he said.
He has however filed a motion challenging the Speaker of Parliament’s decision.
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Pollster and Managing Editor of the Daily Dispatch, Ben Ephson