Parliament resumes: new standing orders take effect

Parliament has resumed sitting after a seven week break for Christmas. Upon resumption, the House commenced the implementation of its new Standing Orders. Per the new rules, the legislators now have to recite the National Pledge once at the beginning of every week of sitting.

The First Meeting of the Fourth Session of the Eighth Parliament commenced on Tuesday, February 6, 2024. This particular session/meeting marked the beginning of new orders for the House. Steps to review the House’s Standing Orders began in 2002, following growing public demand for transparency and accountability, as well as a desire for Parliament to increase its oversight for the executive and other constitutional bodies. The House finally adopted the new Standing Orders before going on recess in December 2023. Now, upon their return, the Legislature commenced the fourth session with a roll call, followed by the National pledge, as stipulated by the new House Rules.

The Speaker, Mr. Alban Bagbin later announced that there would be workshops to help members get acquainted with the new Standing Orders. The new standing orders also require heads of state institutions to directly appear before the House to address queries related to their agencies. The change is contrary to the previous standing orders, which permitted Ministers of State to represent the heads of institutions during questioning. In sharing some insight into the new rules, the First Deputy Minority Whip in Parliament, Mr. Ahmed Ibrahim, explained that independent bodies such as the Electoral Commission, the CHRAJ boss, BoG Governor, NCCE, and the Auditor General will now face questioning similar to ministers on the floor of parliament.

Meanwhile speaker Alban Bagbin and some leaders of the House are worried about the exit of experienced MPs from the country’s legislative body. At Tuesday’s sitting, they said the exit of members such as the MP for Suame, Mr. Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, First Deputy Speaker, Mr. Joseph Osei-Owusu, and Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, Mr. James Klutse Avedzi, will negatively impact on activities in Parliament. Results of both the NPP and the NDC primaries show that over forty (40) MPs will not return to the House in the next Parliament.