It's hypocrisy to expect a partisan Speaker to be impartial - Prof Gyampo

Majority, Minority MPs ‘fight’ over E-levy bill

MPs apologize for misconduct

Parliament adjourns sitting sine die

Senior Political Science Lecturer at the University of Ghana, Professor Ransford Gyampo, has stated that it will be double standard on the part of partisan members of parliament to expect a partisan Speaker to be impartial in the discharge of their duties.

In an apparent reference to the recent conduct of the first deputy speaker, Joseph Osei Owusu (Joe Wise) while presiding over parliamentary sitings, Professor Gyampo stressed that no Speaker is neutral.

“It is hypocrisy and ignorance for a partisan MP to expect a partisan Speaker to be impartial. No Speaker in any democracy is neutral. You either eschew Intransigence and build Consensus or keep fighting. It’s a Hung Parliament!” he wrote on his Facebook wall.

The first deputy Speaker who is also the MP for Bekwai on the ticket of the New Patriotic Party has in recent times superintended over parliamentary sittings considering the 2022 budget statement – most of which has turned chaotic.

In the latest sitting he presided over, Joe Wise attempted to recuse himself for the second deputy speaker, Andrew Asiamah, take over proceedings while he goes to participate in the voting process to determine whether the e-levy bill should be admitted under a certificate of urgency – a move that sparked chaos.

Meanwhile, the minority has blamed the two deputy speakers for the chaos.

MP for Odododiodioo, Edwin Nii Lantey Vanderpuye, says the conduct of the two deputy speakers was what fuelled the pandemonium.

“Inasmuch as I will say it’s unfortunate that such a thing should happen, I think Ghanaians should put the blame on the First Deputy Speaker and the Second Deputy Speaker. Our democracy and our parliamentary practice is at risk if they continue to exhibit such bias attitude,” he told Joy News’ parliamentary correspondent Kwesi Parker Wilson.