Share experiences to enhance governance "Bagbin to Commonwealth Parliaments"
The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, has stressed the need for Parliaments to share experiences and learn from each other to enhance governance, sustain the confidence of the electorate in their elected representatives and improve upon parliamentary democracy.
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He was speaking at Westminster at the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) branch office of the House of Commons, London, as the head of a parliamentary delegation to the United Kingdom (UK) Parliament to discuss areas of cooperation between the Parliaments of Ghana and the UK.
The discussion was centred on approaches to conducting parliamentary business effectively, managing hung Parliaments and narrow majorities, making parliamentary scrutiny and oversight more efficient, and promoting a collaborative work environment in Parliament.
New Standing Orders
Mr Bagbin said Ghana’s Parliament was working on a new set of Standing Orders to provide practical guidance and procedures for situations that had hitherto not been factored into its Standing Orders.
He explained that the previous Standing Orders hardly anticipated a hung Parliament and did not make provision for rules to govern such a situation, making it overly focused on a composition of Parliament with a clear majority.
The current hung Parliament and years of usage have thrown into sharp focus, the need to comprehensively review Parliament’s Standing Orders.
The Speaker of Parliament referred to Parliament’s consideration of a motion of censure of a Minister of State, and the various commentaries and opinions that have been shared on that ever since.
He said the debate as to whether such a motion of censure is a legal or political matter is yet to be settled.
As the Speaker of the first hung Parliament in Ghana, he explained he navigates such unchartered waters by relying on his three decades of experience with the legislature, his experience as a lawyer and what makes common sense.
Consequently, drawing parallels with similar situations in other Parliaments, particularly within the CPA, will help improve parliamentary democracy in Ghana.
Response
The Chief Executive of the CPA UK branch, Jon Davies, described the issues raised by the Speaker as striking and familiar with some of the issues that other Parliaments have had to deal with.
He was happy with the visit by the Ghanaian parliamentary delegation, which he said will further strengthen the bilateral links between the two legislatures of the CPA.
Other meetings
Mr Bagbin also held meetings with the UK Minister for Development and Africa, Andrew Mitchell, and Secretary-General of the CPA,Stephen Twigg.
Included in the Speaker’s delegation was the Clerk to Parliament, Cyril Kwabena Oteng Nsiah; the Assistant Deputy Clerk, Ebenezer Ahumah; Director, Legal Counsel to the Speaker, Magnus Kofi Amoatey; the Director of Communication, Gayheart Mensah and the Deputy Director of Parliamentary Relations, Charles Dery Tenzagh.
