A private legal practitioner, Nana Agyeman Abu-Bonsrah, has intimated that, the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, must consider a reduction in the size of his ministerial appointment under the 8th Parliament in the fourth Republic looking at the turn of events with regards to this years’ general elections and transition process.
Speaking during a discussion on the good and bad aspects of the transition of government after this years’ general elections, he stated that, it was his firm believe the President was going to put into consideration the reduction in his ministerial appointment this year.
Buttressing his point, he noted that, in the 7th Parliament, the President had 169 Members of Parliament (MP’s) on the ticket of the NPP, and with the clear reduction of his MP’s to 137, it will not make sense for him to still maintain that ‘elephant size’ in Parliament.
“It only stands to reason that, there has to be a reduction because even if you don’t do that, you run the government with what happens in parliament, and so you send bills there and whatever happens will have some implications on the executives so, I believe that, the President,… quite clearly from the way things have played out, he knows that he has to reduce the size of his government.”
Touching on challenges the President might face, he indicated that, the selection of experienced MP’s and also young Members of Parliament will be a bit difficult adding that there was also going to be an issue of gender balance.
He further suggested the selection of an equal section of both genders, positing that, it will be ideal and believed that this will form part of the factors the President will consider in appointing Ministers.
Also speaking on the panel, a private legal practitioner, Andrews Nii Adjei Khartey, also stated that, one of the key things the President will consider will be the size of his government.
He noted that, there is just no practical way the President can have the same number of Ministers saying it is practically impossible.
“It is practically impossible because, the constitution says that, more than half of your Ministers should come from Parliament and now this is a Parliament that you have more than 137 plus one against another 137. Now the scary part is what transpired about three days ago [January 7], where the President’s choice was not selected as speaker of parliament.”
He further stated that, the implication of what happened implies that, the President cannot be sure of total allegiance from the Members of Parliament, explaining that, this would be a ‘red flag’, with regards to many of the things and projects the President would want to undertake and do.
“Now this means that, automatically, he has to ensure that, very few members of parliament will be taken out of their work by virtue of the fact that they belong to the executive body.”
He further suggested mergence of existing ministries or a total scrapping of them adding also that some of the Ministries must be put under some to ensure efficiency.
