Parliament to consider amendments bill in May
Pursuant to the proposals of the Constitutional Review Implementation Commission, a bill amending a number of Provisions of the 1992 Constitution will be presented to Parliament when it resumes business in May.
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Members would be expected to debate the bill thoroughly and pass it.
The Leader of the Majority in Parliament, Dr Benjamin Kunbuor, announced this in his closing remarks when the House adjourned last week Wednesday.
The House performed three key constitutional responsibilities during the just ended 12-weekday meeting.
There was a debate on the state of the nation presented by the President, approval of the budget statement and financial policy of the government for 2013 and approval of the ministerial nominees of the President.
The Minority, however boycotted two of those important tasks and only participated in the debate on the budget and its approval.
Dr Kunbuor said the debate on the proposed amendments was an "all important task" and should be done " in the national spirit."
He noted that in a democratic dispensation, the right to waive one's right on any issue was permissible.
In that context, he said, all must respect the right of the minority not to participate in all businesses in the House.
The unfortunate thing with that decision, however, he said, was the fact that the House lost the opportunity to benefit from the input and wise counsel of the minority.
He said although the Minority presented their version of the state of the nation, unfortunately that information was presented outside the House and was, therefore, not part of the record of the House and was not subjected to the critique normally associated with debates in the House.
Dr Kunbuor expressed joy at the decision of the Minority to participate in the debate on the budget saying the House benefitted from the rich experience of the group.
He was, however, quick to caution the Minority against acts that impugn the integrity of the House, particularly on ceremonial occasions.
"It is my humble opinion that the display of printed material on the floor directed at the President on the occasion of the President's presence in the House to present his message on the State of the Nation does not uphold the dignity of the House and we should all refrain from such acts," he said.
He expressed gratitude to the Speaker, the staff of Parliament and the Parliamentary Press Corps for their hard work during the session.
The Deputy Minority Leader, Mr Dominic Nitiwul, urged members not to allow their differences to tear them apart.
"Let us unite even in our disagreement," he said and added that Parliament needed to stand as one to guard against any attempt to usurp its powers.
He said the Minority refused to attend the inauguration of the President, participate in the vetting process and debate the state of the nation address because of the petition filed at the Supreme Court challenging the validity of the 2012 Presidential elections.
He said although the move attracted criticism, the group wanted to drive home the point that " we are not in normal times."
Mr Nitiwul urged those at the helm of affairs in the country to address the numerous challenges facing Ghanaians such as unemployment and the challenges in the education centre.
He expressed gratitude to both sides of the House for co-operation and called for greater consultation on issues in the future
He called for quick action on the proposed new chamber for Parliament.
The Speaker, Mr Edward Doe Adjaho, expressed gratitude to God for giving both members and leadership the strength to conduct business in the House.
He expressed gratitude to the MPs for co-operating saying it was an important factor in resolving conflicts.
He was also grateful to the auxiliary staff and Parliamentary press corps for their hard work.
Story: Mark-Anthony Vinorkor
