Parliament forms standing committees

Parliament on Friday adopted the report of the Committee of Selection, which formed 11 standing committees of the House to enable it to begin its work.

Mr Joseph Henry Mensah, Majority Leader laid the report and was seconded by Mr Alban Bagbin, Minority Leader.

The Committee of Selection ensured that every Member of Parliament serves on at least one of the standing committees in compliance with its standing orders.

Government Assurances Committee was the only one, which attracted a prolonged debate as to whether each chairman should come from the Minority or Majority.

In the second parliament the chairman of that committee was from the Majority side and the retained members of the House were not happy about its effectiveness.

The general view was that the chairman of that committee should have been from the Minority who should act as a watchdog on the performance of ministers and the government and how they relate with parliament.

Mr Bagbin said the current chairman should come from the Minority because it was an innovation adopted from the Indian Parliament.

He said though members would complain that the previous committee did not perform to their tastes yet there was the need for the whole House to discuss the issue dispassionately and set a precedent.

Nana Akufo Addo, MP for Abuakwa and Attorney General designate said that the democratic precedent of the chairman coming from the Minority would be an ideal situation.

It is a principle of democratic practice, which must be given a new lease in the current parliament and not to stick to something, which does not work.

He said he would not attribute the non-performance of the previous committee to inefficiency, incompetence and failure but what should be done to ensure the effectiveness of parliament, which must be seen by all.

However, he said, the current situation should be maintained to determine

whether the committee will perform.

The Majority Leader summing up said the leadership of the House will meet to revisit the issue.