We are compelled to devote our precious front page to demand sanity and decorous behaviour in the legislative house of the Republic of Ghana.
It is recalled that the whole world witnessed shocking scenes in Parliament after midnight of 6th January, 2021 during the election of a Speaker for the legislature.
The unacceptable behaviour and sheer lawlessness from some Members of Parliament, during the process of electing the Speaker, including the snatching of ballot boxes, destruction of polling booths and snatching of ballot papers culminating in the presence of the security forces in the chamber of Parliament, gave Ghana a very bad image and lowered our credibility in the eyes of the democratic world.
Ghanaians have still not overcome this embarrassing moment in our history as a leading light in democratic practice in Africa.
Events in the past week appear to indicate that the absence of an urgent and official inquiry in respect of the 6th January, 2021, mayhem has emboldened some persons in Parliament to desecrate the image of this important legislative institution and drag the image of the country in the mud.
We call on all right-thinking members of this dear nation from all persuasions to join us in condemning such embarrassing tendencies creeping into our politics, especially regarding the conduct of business in the Parliament of Ghana.
It is in our collective interest to protect our democracy and to resist tendencies which seem to undermine and demean our pledge to uphold and the fourth Republican Constitution and the institutions of our cherished democracy.
Many well-meaning Ghanaians have condemned these disgraceful conducts of some of our lawmakers.
A security analyst, Mr Sadick Adu Twum, believes that the actions and inactions of the eighth parliament are fast pushing the nation into a state of lawlessness.
Ghana, he stressed, is a country governed by the rule of law, regretting that current the parliament is not behaving in that direction.
“Parliament is gradually building a disrespectful society,” he concluded.
A senior citizen, Mr Kwame Pianim, also entreated the lawmakers to exhibit a high level of statesmanship to enable them focus on championing critical issues that affect the progress of the nation.
He said MPs were role models to their constituents and agents of development whose actions must always be geared towards advancing the cause of the citizenry and not political and individual interests.
We at THE CUSTODIAN do not see why processes towards the approval of a national budget should lead to so much chaos in Parliament.
It serves no purpose for both sides of the House to hold entrenched positions in a matter that is intended to help solve the myriad of challenges confronting the country. There should be compromises to ensure the overall interest of Ghanaians is served.
This why we welcome the call by National Peace Council on the leadership in Parliament to resort to dialogue and consensus building in resolving the current budget impasse.
The Council expressed concern at the disturbing happenings in Parliament and called for calm to quell the flame of passion among the citizenry.
In a statement issued its Chairman Rev. Dr Ernest Adu-Gyamfi on Saturday 4th December 2021, the Council indicated that it held separate meetings with the Majority and Minority leaders in Parliament in view of the potential impact of the happenings in Parliament on the peace and stability of the country.
Accordingly, the Council appealed to both sides of the House to continue the path of dialogue in resolving the current impasse and those that may occur in the future.
It also urged the media and all those who make statements on the matter to exercise maximum restraint in their pronouncements to protect the peace, stability, and the integrity of our beloved country.
Obed Asamoah’s advice
It is as a result of the current disturbing episode that a former Attorney-General and Minister of Justice in the Rawlings Administration, Dr Obed Asamoah, has also urged both sides of Parliament to come to a consensus and pass the 2022 Budget Statement.
Parliament made up of only the majority side on Tuesday November 30, 2021, quashed an earlier purported rejection of the 2022 budget statement and economic policy of government by the minority and later approved same in the process.
However, the Minority on Wednesday December 1, 2021 also attempted to reverse the approval of the Budget, which led to total confusion and lawlessness of some lawmakers.
Consequently, Dr Obed Asamoah in speaking to Accra-based Asaase Radio suggested that without a compromise from both parties to approve the budget, one must seek interpretation of the law from the Supreme Court to settle the issue.
“They have to sit down and compromise. If they don’t compromise, then they go to court. But if they can compromise, then you don’t have to go to court because the court is the last resort.
“When there’s a dispute, which the parties cannot settle, then, of course, you must go to court. And dispute of this nature, because of the importance, the court will sit and resolve the matter very quickly,” the former Attorney-General suggested.
Agreement
The chairman of the Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee, Mr Kwame Anyimadu-Antwi, agreed with the former Attorney-General to seek interpretation at the Supreme Court regarding the happenings in Parliament.
“I really agree with him (Obed Asamoah) if there were time, we need to go to the Supreme Court for the interpretation of this. Because I see what is in article 104 and 109 of our standing orders are very clear,” he stated.
Consensus
Mr Anyimadu-Antwi said the government is ready to reach a consensus with the Minority side of Parliament to fast track the approval of the 2022 budget.
He noted that “we’re prepared to actually sit down and look at the way forward and this drama must be stopped. But that does not mean that a minority must dictate the pace to ask in parliament that we want this and if you don’t do this, we’ll come to parliament and destruct the process.”
