Minority returns to Parliament after Boycott

Ghana's Minority Group returns to Parliament Tuesday, May 22 after a four-day boycott in protest of the detention of the member for Ningo-Prampram, Hon. E.T. Mensah by the Bureau of National Investigation (BNI) with a call on the House to look into the matter.

Minority Leader, Alban Bagbin briefed the House on the action of the security agency and called for an urgent meeting of the leadership of the House to discuss the circumstances surrounding the action. He also suggested that a reference be made to the judiciary for guidance on the extent and limits of parliamentary immunity and privileges as provided for in the 1992 Constitution.

Bagbin suggested further that a strong signal be sent to the executive to treat the other arms of government (the legislature and the judiciary) with the necessary decency and decorum to ensure a harmonious co-existence and pursuit of the national interest.

The Minority views E.T. Mensah's arrest as erosion of what it describes as the "basic principles of democratic governance painfully initiated by all of us as a country".

The NDC said it its statement to the House that the matter offers an opportunity for Parliament to think through the scope and meaning of the legal provisions of immunities and privileges of Members of Parliament and the relationship between the Executive and Parliamentary arms of government.

The 92 strong member Minority believes that the House can mutually handle these issues to deepen the democratic principles and practices that the nation has established. "We will call on the judiciary for assistance. But much depends on the attitude of the majority side of the House", Bagbin said amidst shouts and boos from the majority.

The Minority leader reminded the House of the ruling NPP's campaign promise of respecting the rights of the individual as enshrined in the Constitution and freedom from fear and arbitrary arrest adding, "we pledge to hold the government to that promise."

Unlike the last Parliament, where the then ruling NDC had an absolute majority, the present ruling party does not have the numbers and so would have to resort to the use of a lot of consensus building to get its way through. The strong NDC minority reminded its counterparts in the majority that "we have no alternative than to work together, to build consensus and narrow down our differences to the barest minimum. The duty to create an atmosphere of cooperation lies on the shoulders of all of us. But more is required from the majority especially the leadership."

The minority taking a clue from the stiff opposition it faced from the then NPP minority says it would be shirking its responsibilities if it allows itself to be buffeted by the "erratic tidal waves of executive power".

Responding to the statement delivered by the Minority leader, the leader of House, J.H. Mensah express his disappointment at the way the NDC members handled the matter of the detention of E.T. Mensah. "The boycott of Parliament has its political use. They are learning, they do not know how to use the instrument, in this regard, they were totally misguided", the Majority leader said of the boycotting NDC members amidst shouts of disapproval from the Minority and "teach them, teach them", from the majority.

J.H. Mensah in what appears as a departure from what his deputy said at a press conference organized by the Majority said the House would not accept an attempt to use the floor of the House for the trial of such matters "because it is not a court of law."

Deputy Majority leader, Papa Owusu-Ankomah said at a press conference last week that the Minority should have brought the matter before the House for settlement instead of taking the action they took. Analysts describe the two positions as contradictory.

"The matter should be settled elsewhere", the Majority leader stressed adding however that the proper matter before the House should be the issue of privileges for the affected member.

The First Deputy Speaker, Freddy Blay who was in the chair in the absence of the Speaker, Peter Ala Adjetey refereed the matter to the leadership of the House to deal with. He refused members the opportunity to comment on the statement by the Minority.

The Majority has stated that the NDC boycott was unnecessary and did not achieve any meaningful results save for the scoring of political points but the Minority itself maintains that the action was in order and achieved its intended purpose.