Parliamentary Shutdown: Majority Leader raises concerns over Speaker’s motives
The Majority Leader in Parliament, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, has expressed strong disapproval of Speaker Alban Bagbin’s decision not to recall the House, accusing him of exercising unilateral control over parliamentary activities.
In an interview with JoyNews, Afenyo-Markin criticized the Speaker, alleging that he was treating the legislature as his personal domain.
“Look at the shutdown they are doing in Parliament. Today, the Speaker has taken Parliament as his personal property. As and when it pleases him, he opens Parliament. Even when there is an issue that he could sit with us on, he says no,” Afenyo-Markin remarked.
The Majority Leader also criticized the National Democratic Congress (NDC) MPs and its flagbearer, John Mahama, for discouraging the Speaker from recalling Parliament. He described their actions as obstructive to government operations.
“Look at the response of the NDC. They wrote a counter-petition saying that Mr Speaker should not open Parliament. The flagbearer of the NDC also said the same thing. So what they are doing is holding government hostage,” he asserted.
Afenyo-Markin further accused Speaker Bagbin of acting with ulterior motives, raising concerns about the impact of the shutdown on government business.
“Are we even sure that he would open Parliament? That’s the question. Are we even sure? But the answer lies in we [NPP] winning massively. And once we win massively and we come, he would have no choice.
“I do not want to rely on his words. You remember we recalled Parliament; the government did all that they had to do. We came in, and he adjourned Parliament sine die. So I don’t want to talk about whether he would come and reopen Parliament or not. I leave it to his own judgment,” he concluded.
