The Minority Caucus in Parliament has rejected the suspension of three of its members following the altercation that erupted at the Appointments Committee sitting on Thursday.
It urged the Speaker of Parliament, Alban S.K. Bagbin, to exercise restraint and ensure that disciplinary measures are applied fairly and in accordance with parliamentary rules.
The Caucus also called for dialogue to resolve tensions in the House rather than resorting to punitive actions that could stifle democratic discourse.
The Speaker on Friday, suspended three New Patriotic Party (NPP) MPs, Frank Annoh-Dompreh, MP for Nsawam-Adoagyiri, Alhassan Sulemana Tampuli MP for Gushegu, Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor Majority Chief Whip and Jerry Ahmed Shaib, MP for Weija-Gbawe, over their involvement in the disturbances during the vetting of ministerial nominees.
However, the Minority in a press statement issued on Friday described the decision as an “unfortunate overreach of parliamentary authority” and an example of “selective justice.”
According to the Caucus, the altercation at the vetting session was a result of growing frustrations over what they termed as procedural unfairness and a disregard for consensus-building by the Majority side.
They argued that Parliament is a place for robust debate, and the incident should not have been met with such harsh disciplinary action.
They also accused the Speaker of setting a dangerous precedent by suspending the MPs without giving them a fair hearing as required under Article 19 (1) of the Constitution and Standing Orders 130 (a) and (b).
The Minority maintained that internal disciplinary mechanisms should have been exhausted before such decision was taken.
Furthermore, they questioned the Speaker’s impartiality, pointing out that similar or even worse incidents had occurred in Parliament without such punitive measures being applied.
They cited the chaotic 2021 Speakership election, the brawl over the E-Levy, and disruptions during the vetting of Supreme Court judges in July 2024 as instances where a more reconciliatory approach was taken.
“Why then does he choose, at this moment, to impose harsh and selective punishment?” the Caucus asked, arguing that the decision undermines the Speaker’s credibility as a neutral arbiter and raises concerns about bias.
The Minority stressed that Parliament is a forum for debate, sometimes heated, and that lawmakers have a duty to ensure that due process is followed.
They insisted that the Speaker’s role is to facilitate order and dialogue, not to arbitrarily punish MPs for standing their ground.
They, therefore, demanded an immediate reversal of the suspensions, warning that failing to do so would set a precedent where the Speaker wields unchecked authority to silence dissent.
“Parliament must remain a bastion of democracy, not an institution of oppression,” they stated, adding that the Ghanaian people deserve a legislature where all voices are heard, not one where members are punished for holding the government accountable.
They reaffirmed their commitment to fairness and justice, vowing not to allow parliamentary democracy to be undermined by selective application of rules.
BY RAISSA SAMBOU
Source:
ghanaiantimes.com.gh
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