Professor Mike Ocquaye
A former First Deputy speaker of Parliament Professor Mike Ocquaye has resurrected the debate over the powers granted the President by the 1992 constitution.
According to him, the overwhelming amount of power given the President makes it easy for him to manipulate lawmakers and other key public officers.
Speaking at an event organised by the University of Ghana Business School, the former Dome/Kwabenya MP said the current situation where the President appoints almost all public sector workers is an affront to good governance.
“In fact to some extent, the sitting arrangement in Parliament is determined by the Flagstaff House. In the sense that when a person is appointed a minister; no matter whether the Person is a first timer in the House or not, that person will sit on the front bench by virtue of being a minister. This and other arrangements should tell us how weak the legislator is. Particularly, if you compare it to the senatorial system in the US,” he stated.
The Majority Leader in Parliament, Alban Bagbin, who also spoke at the event said until the constitution is amended to reduce the powers of the President, it will be difficult for majority members to speak against an executive decision they disagree with.
