Majority to trigger recall of Parliament… to deal with unfinished businesses

The Majority Caucus in Par­liament says it has commenced the procedure to trigger a recall of the House for an emergency meeting.Majority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin told journalists at a media conference in Accra on Friday that the intended recall was in good faith.

“We have initiated the process to trigger a recall of Parliament to deal with some unfinished businesses of the House and we do so in good faith and for the good of our democracy,” he stated.

The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, on Wednesday, March 20, 2024, adjourned the House sine die, putting on ice the approval of President Nana Addo Dank­wa Akufo-Addo’s new set of ministerial nominees and other businesses.

That decision, the Majori­ty caucus said, was “arbitrary, capricious” and injurious to the democratic path the country has taken.

“The decision of Mr Speaker to adjourn the House without recourse to Members, especially leadership, is most arbitrary, ca­pricious and undemocratic,” the Majority said, in a statement in response to the adjournment.

To remedy the situation, Mr Afenyo-Markin, who is also MP for Efutu, said the Majority had prayed the Speaker to use his discretion to recall the House, to deal with the unfinished busi­nesses, to facilitate the smooth running of government.

“As far back as April 8, 2024, I, on behalf of colleagues sent a memo to the Speaker in which I prayed the Speaker to exercise discretion and recall the House to deal with businesses pending before it but to no avail.“We are left with no option than to invoke our rights under Article 112(3) of the Constitu­tion [for a meeting to deal with the unfinished businesses]”, the Majority Leader said.

Per the provisions of the Constitution, 15 per cent of all Members, translating into 42 of the 275 legislators, may request the recall and the Speaker shall within seven days upon the receipt of the request, summon Parliament.Consequently, Mr Afen­yo-Markin said: “I can tell you on authority that we have more than 100 of our members who have signed the recall motion.”

He called on his colleagues in the Minority to support the recall for the seamless running of the government.

The indication of the re­call comes days after the New Patriotic Party (NPP) won the Ejisu by-election, to restore their numerical strength to 138 to form the Majority in the legisla­tive assembly

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