The Speaker of Parliament Rt. Hon Alban Kingsford Sumana Bagbin has expressed worry over the invocation of Article 112 clause (3) to recall the House.
According to him this should be of concern to Members of Parliament (MPs) since this is the second time it has been invoked.
“Whiles, the provisions are clear and unambiguous, we must consider the broader context in which they are intended to operate and legislate to set down the preconditions under which the Article could apply. Parliament recedes to focus more on its other functions of scrutiny, representation, advocacy, and diplomacy. It should be recalled when and only when an exceptional or urgent matter or business arise and requires Parliament’s immediate attention”.
Article 112 should not become a tool to keep Parliament in perpetual or continuous session, thereby preventing Parliament and Members from performing the other aforementioned constitutional functions and duties to the country and constituencies.
The Speaker added that, a frequent invocation of Article 112 (3), particularly in a House composed such as this eighth Parliament, could pose challenges to the governance of the country. The good intentions of the drafters of the Constitution could be turned into a horror movie.
For instance, frequent recalls can disrupt planned legislative annual budget and workflow, drain national resources, and affect the overall productivity of Parliament.
“Hon Members, I invite members to, at the appropriate time, deliberate on this matter to establish when it is appropriate to resort to the use of Article 112 (3)”.
Article 112 (3) of the Constitution states:
“Notwithstanding any other provision of this article, fifteen percent of members of Parliament may request a meeting of Parliament and the Speaker shall, within seven days after the receipt of the request, summon Parliament.”
Similarly, Order 53 (1) of the Revised Standing Orders of Parliament echoes this provision with an additional demand. In the words of the Order:
“(1) Despite any other provision, fifteen per cent of Members of Parliament may request a meeting of Parliament and the Speaker shall, within seven days after the receipt of the request, summon Parliament.”
and
“(2) Parliament shall convene within seven days after the issuance of the notice of summons”
And we are also meeting here in this dome rather than our usual chamber because, during this recess, the decision of the Parliamentary Service Board to address structural defects and replace outdated audio and video equipment in the chamber was programmed to be implemented. This became an imperative to be done this time after an earlier attempt fell through during the May/ June recess. The implementation of the Board decision to replace and upgrade the facilities became compelling as a result of the frequent equipment failures and the structural defects that has, on many occasions, disrupted proceedings of the House.
Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com
