Electing a sitting MP as Speaker is a breach of Parliament laws - Minority leader

• The Minority Leader in Parliament has said a motion to amend article 97 to allow MPs to be elected as Speaker of Parliament is uncalled for

• He said there are processes to go through to turn a motion into a bill then law

• Haruna Iddrisu said the motion the majority raised is in breach of the parliamentary laws

Minority Leader in Parliament, Haruna Iddrisu, has stated that the motion being ignited by the Majority Leader to consider an amendment of article 97(1)(b) of the constitution, to enable an incumbent Member of Parliament to be elected as Speaker of the house without having to vacate his or her seat is a breach of parliamentary laws.

According to him, there are processes to go through to turn a motion into a bill and law. He said the bill to amend the provision of the constitution which is not an entrenched position cannot be introduced in parliament.

This comes on the back of a motion by the Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu for the house to consider a debate on the possibility of amending the constitution to allow an incumbent MP to be elected as Speaker of the house.

“I deem just this appearance on even our business statement as one of an introduction of the matter to parliament and Mr Speaker, I have asked you that we should do further consultation with you with the constitution with the best practice and Mr Speaker, respectively refer you to article 291 of the constitution as I understand it, he thinks that a bill to amend a provision of this constitution, which is not an entrenched provision shall not be introduced in parliament. Narrowly, his argument is that this is not a bill but to initiate a debate on an important constitutional matter which borders on the authority of the Speaker and the neutrality and impartiality of the Speaker as the head of the legislative organ of state, I will think that procedurally, we are in breach of article 291,” Mr Iddrisu said.

He noted that introducing such a motion was uncalled for since article 97 belong to the non-entrenched positions of the law.

Meanwhile, the Minority Leader has asked President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to show evidence of the law that backs the burning of the excavators which were confiscated by the military at some illegal mining sites.

According to him, there is no law that backs the act.