Minority Resent Speaker's Ruling

Accra (Greater Accra) 29 July ?99

The Minority Group in Parliament on Wednesday said they resented the way the Speaker, Mr Justice Daniel Francis Annan, conducted business in the House by allowing Dr Tony Aidoo, Deputy Minister of Defence, to make a personal statement on the floor.

Mr J.H. Mensah, Minority Leader, on behalf of the group, said it is unprecedented for a non-Member of Parliament to be given such privilege as accorded Dr Aidoo.

Dr Aidoo had sought and obtained the consent of the Speaker to make a statement on the floor of the House to refute certain allegations made against him by the Minority Leader and Mr Kwamena Bartels, Minority Spokesman on Works and Housing.

Mr Mensah said if there is any precedent, Dr Aidoo's is the worst case, adding that the Deputy Minister's intervention wasted the time of the House, which is two days away from rising.

The Minority Leader said under Parliamentary Standing Order 72, only Members of Parliament may explain a matter of a personal nature or make a statement of urgent public importance.

Standing Order 70 (2) entitles a Minister of State to make an announcement or a statement of government policy.

Article 111 of the Constitution states in part that: "The Vice-President, a Minister or a Deputy Minister, who is not a Member of Parliament, shall be entitled to participate in the proceedings of the House and shall be accorded all the privileges of a Member of Parliament".

Mr Mensah said his opinion on Dr Aidoo is on record. "I said he is a man of unbalanced character. There is nothing, therefore, to occasion the Speaker to admit a statement of personal character".

He alleged that certain authorities outside Parliament have been allowed to influence the business of the House, saying this is unacceptable.

He said Dr Aidoo's issue is not the first time the Minority is regretting a ruling by the Speaker, and indicated that the group is advising itself on what to do next.

"The bottomline is not the fault of Tony Aidoo's but the Speaker's for allowing him to make such a disruptive statement in the House".

Mr Mensah said "even though the Speaker told us that if we want to respond, we should follow laid-down procedures, we have to take other rules to prevent this kind of disruption from the House".

Asked why most of the Minority left the chamber following the Speaker's ruling, Mr Mensah explained that "it was not a walk-out, we left the chamber to consult on the ruling, having told the Speaker of our intention to do so".

On whether he will apologise to Dr Aidoo as he had demanded in his statement, the Minority leader responded, "it is a joke, I am not going to apologise to Tony Aidoo for my opinion on him".