Stand-off in Parliament: Experts call for dialogue, reforms

Three academics and respected governance experts have proposed dialogue and consultations as the solution to the current stand-off in Parliament.

They are former United Nations Governance Advisor, Professor Baffour Agyeman-Duah; Governance Fellow at the Institute for Economic Affairs, Dr Samuel Kofi Darkwa, and a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Political Science of the University of Education, Winneba, Dr Maliha Abubakari.

The impasse follows the declaration of four seats vacant by the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, and the Supreme Court subsequently ordering a stay of execution of same upon an application by the leader of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Caucus in Parliament, Alexander Afenyo-Markin.

This led to two emergency recalls of Parliament, each of them adjourned promptly over seemingly extraneous matters, including the absence of the government side in the House.

Speaking in separate interviews with the Daily Graphic, Prof. Agyeman-Duah and Dr Darkwa urged prominent personalities to convene a meeting to bring the parties together, emphasising quiet diplomacy over press conferences.

"What we need is quiet diplomacy and talking things out," Prof. Agyeman-Duah said.

Diplomacy

“First of all, I think it's unfortunate that we have this problem on our hands. The way forward is simple,” Prof. Agyeman-Duah said.

“In cases like this, only dialogue, consultations can solve it. I think it is time that the key players in government, that is the Executive, the Judiciary, and Parliament, sit down quietly, privately, and sort things out. As we approach the elections, we don't want a stalled Parliament.

“At the moment, it's clear that government business is going to be stalled as we prepare for the elections.

And I understand there's an outstanding Constitutional Instrument for the Electoral Commission to submit, besides the fact that certain loans, payments and certain agreements might be ratified by Parliament.

So I think this is not the time to stick to our arms,” Prof. Agyeman-Duah said. “This is not the time to decide who is right and who is wrong.

The best interest of the nation is to see smooth governance processes in the country.

So I think it's important for the Speaker, the Chief Justice, and the Executive — that is the President — to find some quiet moments and sort these things out before it gets out of control,” the Chief Executive Officer of the Kufuor Foundation said.

“The Speaker mentioned in his statement that there's no crisis, there's no constitutional crisis. That, for me, was good. But then looking at the facts on the ground, the fact that Parliament is no longer in session when it should be, for me, simply signifies an impending constitutional crisis,” he said.

Prof. Agyeman-Duah suggested that the Speaker and parliamentary leadership also held a crucial role in the resolution process of the impasse.

"If the Speaker can reach some kind of understanding with his counterparts, and they can all hold meetings with the leadership of Parliament, then they can come back to Parliament and there'll be no chaos," he observed.

Dr Darkwa said that the proceedings surrounding the issue had not been managed with the requisite professionalism and diplomacy.

“Given that Ghana’s Parliament operated as a hung Parliament, it is crucial for disputes to be resolved through constructive dialogue and consensus-building rather than through legal avenues.

“The consequences of this stand-off could have significant implications for governance and the economy in Ghana. Such a situation risks undermining political stability and eroding public trust in democratic institutions,” he said.

Dr Darkwa cited historical precedents from Venezuela in 2018, Hong Kong in 2019, and Chile also in 2019, saying they served as cautionary tales in which failure to manage political disagreements effectively led to severe crises.

Those nations, he said, eventually turned to dialogue, mediation, institutional reforms and civic education as pathways to resolution.

“Ghana could benefit from adopting a similar approach by fostering dialogue between the ruling and opposition parties to facilitate consensus-building.

“Additionally, mediation from neutral bodies such as the National Peace Council, the Council of State and the National House of Chiefs could play a vital role in resolving this dispute and steering the country towards a more stable political climate,” Dr Darkwa said.

Reforms

Dr Abubakari, for her part, recommended that the Judiciary should consider an out-of-court settlement between the Speaker and the government side of Parliament.

That, she said, would remove tensions and prevent further escalation.

Dr Abubakari insisted that Ghana's Parliament was a “true manifestation of a “legal fiction”, attributing it to a Constitution that weakened the Legislature.

“The 2020 hung Parliament and recent Majority-Minority switch have exposed Parliament’s vulnerabilities,” she said.

She, therefore, suggested that Ghana could learn from the US where research had shown that divided governments tended to work more efficiently than united ones.

To prevent similar impasses in the future, Dr Abubakari suggested that Parliament should review its Standing Orders and conflict resolution processes.

That, she said, would help to strengthen Ghana's parliamentary democracy and ensure that the Legislature could effectively serve the nation.