The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, has called for consensus building, compromise, and broader consultation among the leaders of parliament as a means of breaking away from the rancor that characterized proceedings in the first session of the 8th Parliament.
According to him, the only way to navigate the difficulties associated with a hung parliament is through the use of dialogue.
Parliament resumes sittings for the second session on Tuesday, January 25, 2022.
Speaking at a Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Workshop in Accra, the Speaker absolved himself of any blame in relation to the recent chaos in Parliament.
” I am the Speaker, and I do not take part in decisions, but it is my duty to enforce the rules… The only way is to get the two sides to dialogue, cooperate with each other and achieve consensus. This is an imperative imposed on us by the people of Ghana. We have no choice,” the Speaker said.
He pointed out that although Parliament appears divided over the passage of the controversial Electronic Transaction Levy, members of the House have to take advantage of the situation to “right some wrongs”
Parliament was compelled to adjourn its sitting to January 25, 2022, without passing the controversial Electronic Transaction Levy of 1.75%.
It came after the house reconvened on December 21, 2021, following the abrupt suspension of sittings by the Second Deputy Speaker, Andrews Asiamah, after a fight broke out during the voting on the levy.
The Majority Leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, prayed the sit-in Speaker, First Deputy Speaker, Joe Osei Owusu, to adjourn the house for cooler heads to prevail.
Last week, the government said it will re-submit the Bill to Parliament, following the conclusion of extensive consultations on the controversial levy.
Ahead of the resubmission, some members of the Minority have already threatened to kick against the bill, but the Majority Leader, Osei Kyei Mensa-Bonsu, has challenged their threat, insisting that the Bill has already been approved and just needs backing legislation.
