Opposition parities critical to good governance-Bagbin

Ho, May 01, GNA - Mr Alban Bagbin, the Minority Leader, has said that the greatest threat to any democratic process anywhere in the world was for the opposition to sink into a state of mere "acquiescence in the face of an overbearing executive."

"This is the main reason why speakers or presiding officers are called upon to provide space and protect the voice of the opposition or minority in parliament," he said in a paper read for him at Ho at a workshop for members of the Parliamentary Press Corps.

He said the perception of parliamentary opposition in Africa has been a rather negative one and that the word opposition evokes images of an aggressive and politically noisy group that are envious of the ruling party and are willing to go any length to undermine, sabotage and eventually supplant it.

The Minority Leader, however, said the opposition played an important role in parliament and an effective and vibrant opposition was therefore an essential ingredient for an efficient and responsive parliament. "....the members of parliament of the majority party tend to succumb to executive pressures. Consequently, only the minority is left to perform the critical role of oversight," he added.

Earlier, Mr Freddie Blay the First Deputy Speaker, who opened the workshop and touched on the theme, " the role of the media in the sustenance of parliamentary democracy", advised the journalists to hide their partisan caps and jerseys in their coverage of parliament. "Above all, you must keep an objective distance between yourselves and parliamentarians and maintain positions of healthy mutual suspicion."

"Strive to keep it in mind that you the journalists here and the parliamentarians together are twin agents for socio-economic development and democracy."

"If you could, I will also advise you to hide your partisan caps and jerseys. It may go a long way to help your work and earn you respect of those of us the ungrateful parliamentarians and political gladiators in the house," Mr Blay said.

The workshop, organised by the Canadian Parliamentary Centre, forms part of the centre's parliamentary support project aimed at strengthening the capacity of Ghana's parliament in ensuring accountability, parliamentary governance with particular attention to poverty reduction.