Let's have less walkouts - Majority urges

The Majority Leader, Papa Owusu Ankomah on Tuesday urged the Minority to cut down on their walkouts from the Chamber to ensure smooth parliamentary work that would deepen and strengthen democracy. He said walkout although could be a powerful parliamentary weapon yet its overuse could negate its effect.

Papa Owusu-Ankomah was delivering his opening speech at the first meeting of the second session of Parliament in the Fourth Republic.

He said: "We want to have less walkouts. We will ensure that our colleagues do not abandon the match before the referee blows the whistle."

"In democracy, it is to be recognised that the view of the Minority is respected. However, the views of the Minority cannot represent the views of the Majority."

Papa Owusu-Ankomah said "there is the urgent need for Parliament as a vital component part of the machinery of governance to facilitate the achievement of the socio-economic and development agenda, which the sovereign people of Ghana mandated the government of the day through the ballot box, to execute".

He said the Majority, "will continue to build bridges; we will continue to reach out to our colleagues on the other side of the same road, which we are mutually bond by history and providence to tread as we continue on our journey towards entrenching democracy and the search for peace, stability and prosperity for our people".

Papa Owusu-Ankomah described the opening of Parliament by the Speaker, Mr Peter Ala Adjetey as "symbolic" since it was a departure from the previous practice of the executive performing that function.