The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Kingsford Sumana Bagbin, has stressed the need for Members of Parliament to acquaint themselves with the 2024 Standing Orders of Parliament so that they can be more effective in their applications.
He said that the difficulties in the old Standing Orders were exposed over time after some processes and procedures were challenged by Members. Additionally, he emphasized that time and practice exposed the gaps and deficiencies in the November 2000 Standing Orders.
“We must start aligning the conduct of business in the House with the evolving and changing trends and requirements of our parliament. We need to know how to apply and cope with the January 2024 Standing Orders that replaced the 2000 orders. These are some of the reasons we are here today. As we say in Africa, ‘When the drummers alter their beats, the dancers must adjust their steps.’”
Rt. Hon. Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin
He added that the January 2024 standing Orders of Parliament were specially drafted to address the ever-changing needs of Ghana’s dynamic and hybrid parliamentary democracy.
According to the Speaker, the current composition of parliament has revealed several challenges with the old Standing Orders, emphasizing these challenges led to “diverse interpretations of some procedures and practices, constant and acerbic verbal one-upmanship on the floor of the house, increased tensions, near fisticuffs and the pronouncement of the Supreme Court regarding the November 2000 Standing Orders”.
He argued further that the new Standing Orders are in tandem with the 1992 Constitution of the Republic of Ghana and heavily rely upon the Darwinian concept of a “living organism”. He said that the Parliament of Ghana’s Standing Orders is a document that changes with time to adjust to continuous changes in Ghanaian societies to reflect new laws, policies, and preferences.
He acknowledged, however, that the new Standing Orders will not be without challenges, but they will be much better than that of 2001 and help in building more robust institutions.
Speaker Identifies Public Mistrust As A Challenge To Parliamentary Work
The Speaker of Ghana’s Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, has identified public mistrust as a major challenge to parliamentary work per the results of the 2020 general elections.
According to him, public trust is so crucial to the work of parliament that the institution cannot afford to lose it. He therefore advised incumbent Members of Parliament to work tirelessly to erase this notion by being diligent and innovative.
“The 2020 general elections presented incontrovertible evidence of this and alerted us to the potential future shifts and turns in our country’s socio-political landscape. We must tackle this with our approach to work.”
Rt. Hon. Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin
Speaking on behalf of the Majority Leader was the MP for Effutu, Hon. Alexander Kwamina Afenyo-Markin, who said that the Standing Orders are the weapon of an MP, and stressed on how the rules book has turned him into a master of parliamentary procedures and processes from a fumbling MP when he first entered Parliament.
He encouraged his colleagues who may be struggling to contribute to discussions on the floor to master the new Standing Orders and in order to make meaningful contributions to debates on the floor of the House despite intimidations from either side.
Mr. Afenyo-Markin urged outgoing MPs to study the rules even as they exit Parliament because they may return to the House again while advising those who would be retained to master the rules before the next session of Parliament.
The Minority Chief Whip and MP for Adaklu, Hon. Kwame Governs Agbodza, appreciated the Speaker for facilitating a revision and operation of the Standing Orders and advised his colleagues to take the workshop seriously since it would provide a sound understanding of the rationale behind each of the provisions.
The Clerk to Parliament, Mr. Cyril Kwabena Oteng Nsiah, explained that the new Standing Orders was inspired by the hung nature of the Eighth Parliament which presented many situations and challenges that were not provided for in the previous Standing Order.
The Orientation workshop for Members of Parliament and Procedural Staff on the new Standing Orders in Ho over the weekend was intended to address the concerns of MPs on the new Standing Orders and help them appreciate the rationale behind the rules.
