Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, says the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) does not have the majority power in Parliament.
According to him, aside the fact that the people during the 2020 elections voted for an equal number of seats for both NPP and the opposition National Democratic Congress, most of the NPP Members of Parliament (MP) are in the Executive arm of government, hence sometimes fail to attend parliamentary sittings.
He explained that because these MPs have been tasked to take care of matters at their respective ministries, they are sometimes unable to vote on some matters.
“The 137-137, it was the people who decided. There was no system or formula put in place, the people just voted. One of the persons who made them the majority, they didn’t want him, so he stood as independent and beat the government candidate.
“He is now the Second Deputy Speaker, so actually there is no majority. If not because of my impartiality, anytime they want to vote, I just step aside and one of them will come and sit down and they are 137-137. So, they don’t have the power they think they have, they don’t have it at all,” Mr Bagbin said.
The Speaker of Parliament stated that despite the fact that he has an affiliation with the opposition NDC, he has no interest in being partial to frustrate government business.
Thus, he is interested in ensuring that, though all the powers may not lie with the NPP when it comes to parliament, the government’s business is seen to a successful end.
“So, the President is trying to get me to take some steps to assist so that they (ministers/members of the executive) can be in parliament to work,” Mr Bagbin added.
