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The Majority caucus in Parliament has described as disappointing and strange, Alban Bagbin’s decision to suspend the approval of Ministers and Deputy Ministers of State.

Majority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin addressing the media, mentioned “it’s very disappointing that after Mr. Speaker had made known his own views about the letter sent from the presidency to the clerk, he adjourned the House sine dine without giving room for the leadership of the House to even comment.”

“This we find very strange, but this is a democracy. We believe as Mr. Speaker himself said, and I’ll quote him, that this calls for reflection . . . I will play that out to Mr. Speaker himself that we all need to reflect on the way forward as a nation . . . We all know that the very issue that was raised by honourable Dafeamekpor had to do with the continuing ministers who had been reshuffled to other ministries. The issue of the constitutionality of certain nominees had been determined by way of their going through the vetting process, a report coming before the House for debate and final decision. So, for me, these are two unrelated issues,” he added.

Background

The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, on Wednesday, 20th March 2024 suspended the approval of Ministers and Deputy Ministers of State following an injunction filed at the Supreme Court by the Member of Parliament (MP) for South Dayi, Rockson-Nelson Etse K. Dafeamekpor.

This decision comes on the back of a letter from the Presidency directing Parliament not to transmit the Bill on Human Sexual Rights and Family Values for President Akufo-Addo’s assent.

According to the letter addressed to Parliament on Monday, March 18, and signed by the Secretary to the President, Nana Asante Bediatuo, the request follows two pending applications for an order of interlocutory injunction currently before the Supreme Court.

This statement has received a lot of criticism from different stakeholders.

We shall not cease and desist

The Speaker of Parliament speaking to the letter said it "undermines the spirit of cooperative governance and mutual respect for the arms of government."

He said the “ongoing scenario poses a grave threat to our legislative authority and, by extension, the democratic principles we strive to uphold. The implications of such executive actions extend far beyond the immediate legislative items at hand. They erode the foundational checks and balances that our forebearers painstakingly established to ensure a vibrant and functioning democracy...

"The Parliament of Ghana will comply with the existing legal framework and reject the attempts by the Executive Secretary of the President, through his contemptuous letter, to instruct the Clerk to Parliament, an Officer of Parliament whose position is recognizably under the Constitution. We shall not cease and desist!" he added.