Alban Bagbin, the Speaker of Parliament, has been encouraged by the Minority Caucus to reject a request for the recall of the House made by the Majority Caucus.
Alexander Afenyo-Markin, the Majority Leader, made the request in a memo dated November 22, 2024, asking Parliament to reconvene on November 28 and 29 following its indefinite adjournment on November 7.
Following Speaker Bagbin’s suspension of proceedings, which he justified by pointing to the lack of a written agenda from the Business Committee, the meeting was adjourned.
The Minority Caucus, led by its leader, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, countered this recall attempt in a memo dated November 25, 2024.
Addressed to Speaker Bagbin, the Minority’s response challenged the legitimacy and procedural compliance of the Majority’s request.
Ato Forson argued that the recall does not meet “the threshold and requirement under Article 112 (3) of the Constitution and Order 53(1) of the Standing Orders which require signatures of 15 percent of members of Parliament to trigger a recall of Parliament.”
Beyond the procedural arguments, the Minority raised concerns about the timing and necessity of the proposed recall.
They labelled the recall request as an “ill-fated and ill-timed recall. Should this request be granted, not only will members of Parliament be required to truncate their important engagements with the electorate, but members will have to contend with logistical and other challenges to commute over long distances, difficult and hard-to-reach constituencies to Accra.”
The Minority also questioned the recall’s urgency, claiming that the Majority Caucus, the petitioner, had not shown that there was an urgent national emergency or important government business that required such action.
The Minority cautioned that allowing the recall would create a precedent for future abuses of parliamentary procedures and encouraged the Speaker to follow the rules of fairness and propriety in his choice.
Source: Citinewsroom