The Minority in Parliament has objected to a proposal from the business committee of Parliament to reduce minority numbers during the debate on President John Mahama’s State of the Nation Address (SONA) and instead replace them with more majority members
The proposal for proportional representation was tabled by Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga on Friday, February 28, 2025, during the reading of the business statement.
By this proposal, the time tested convention of affording the majority and minority sides equal representation during debates will be changed. Instead more majority members will be invited to debate to replace the minority numbers.
Opposing the proposal Ofoase Ayirebi MP, Mr. Kojo Oppong Nkrumah said parliamentary debates should allow for contrasting views, which has traditionally been ensured by alternating speakers from the majority and minority sides.
“What is a debate? To exchange contrasting views on what His Excellency the President has presented. Is there anybody on the majority side who is going to say he disagrees with the President? No. What is going to happen,” he said.
He cited Standing Order 115, which grants the Speaker the discretion to select speakers, rather than any caucus determining numbers from both sides of the house to contribute to the debate.
Mr. Oppong Nkrumah warned that deviating from this established convention by allowing multiple speakers from the majority side before one from the minority would undermine the debate’s purpose and limit diverse perspectives.
“Mr. Speaker, the convention has been over the years, from the first Parliament, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth, that when one person speaks on the other side, ostensibly to repeat what the President has said, you will get a contrasting view from another person from this side. So, Mr. Speaker, we should not fall for this temptation that we are now coming to do some proportional representation when it comes to the debate on the state of the nation,” he added.
Other NPP MPs including the Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin made similar arguments rejecting the proportional representation.
Consequently, Second Deputy Speaker and MP for Fomena, Andrew Asiamah Amoako requested that the matter be tabled before speaker Bagbin for resolution.
