House Laments MPs Leave of Absence

Parliament was yesterday contemplating on when a member can apply for leave of absence from attending the proceedings of the house, which is mandatory for every member of the august house.

Members expressed divergent views over when exactly an MP can take a leave of absence, which can enable the Speaker, as head of the legislative house, to know the whereabouts of members at any particular time.

This issue came up when the votes and proceedings of the house recorded that the majority leader, Hon. Alban Bagbin, was absent without permission from the house.

Members wondered why the leader of the house should set such a bad example, but the deputy majority leader, Hon. John Tia, said the leader was on an official assignment outside the country.

The NPP MP for Kade, Hon. Ofosu Asamoah said it is important for the house to have a clear-cut policy as to when a leave of absence should be granted to a member, so that they could lay to rest the controversial issue of when a member of the house should be absent with permission or without permission.

He questioned whether a member, in seeking permission to be absent, should be granted permission before the member absents him or herself, or after putting in the application should deem it as already granted.

The Speaker, Joyce Bamford Addo, said sometimes the application does not reach her office the same day, but when the reason is given and it's reasonable, she grants the permission.

Minority leader, Hon. Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu, in his submission said leave of absence must be granted before a member decides to be absent from the house, as has been explicitly stated in the standing orders of the house.

He added that the permission that the Speaker gives to members of the house should not be taken for granted, because it could run into serious difficulties if one gets into trouble. "The import of what we are saying is to get the Speaker's permission first", Hon. Mensah Bonsu said.

Local government Minister, Hon. Yileh Chireh, said some of the difficulties have to do with the communication gap in the application of the leave, because it has to go through the leadership and the response has to come through the same route.