Speaker rejects Afenyo-Markin's request to recall House, Says it will happen after the elections

The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Bagbin has rejected a request from Majority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin to recall the House.

The Speaker stated that Parliament would reconvene after the December 7 elections to address all critical matters before ensuring a smooth transition to the 9th Parliament of the Fourth Republic of Ghana.

The House was adjourned indefinitely on November 7 after Speaker Bagbin suspended proceedings due to the lack of a prepared agenda from the Business Committee.

Later, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, the lawmaker for Effutu, called on Speaker Bagbin to exercise his constitutional authority under Standing Orders 57(3) and 58(4) to reconvene Parliament and address the pending business of the House.

In response, the Speaker stated, "I am writing in reply to your memo on the subject, which was received in the Office of the Speaker on Friday, November 22, 2024, while I was out of the office attending an invitation outside Accra. Your memo requests that I exercise my discretion, in accordance with Orders 57(3) and 58(4) of the Standing Orders of the House, to summon Parliament for two days—Thursday, November 28, and Friday, November 29, 2024—to consider twenty-two (22) items, all of which you have described as either outstanding public business or urgent government business."

“Hon. Leader, as you may be aware, the performance of the functions of Parliament and the duties of members of Parliament extends beyond the plenary sittings of Parliament.

“Again as you are aware, the parliamentary calendar acknowledges elections campaign periods. This season is for the Government, Parties, and both presidential and parliamentary candidates to present their manifestoes to the people, and to account and justify how the mandate given them by the voters for the four-year term of office has been applied to the benefit of the people. Bearing in mind the provisions of Article 296 (a) and (b) of the Constitution, 1992, and the closeness of your proposed dates to the general election, I am of the considered opinion, that it would not be in the national interest to interrupt the campaigns of members and parties by a recall to plenary sitting of Parliament.

Consequently, it will not be fair to exercise my discretion in favor of your request to summon Members of Parliament at this time to a two-day sitting to deliberate on twenty-two (22) items you consider urgent or outstanding government business.”