Majority Leader is the Leader of the House

Accra, Jan. 23, GNA - Mr Joe Ghartey, Deputy Minister of Justice and Attorney-General last Friday said Mr Felix Owusu-Adjapong, Majority Leader of Parliament is the leader of the House.

He said by convention and practice in well-established legislatures, Majority Leader had been the leader of the House.


In an interview with the Ghana News Agency, Mr Ghartey said the leadership of the House consisted of the leaders of the Majority and Minority and their deputies, the Chief Whips and their deputies. "This collective leadership is headed by the Majority Leader and therefore the Majority Leader is the leader of the House."


Mr Ghartey who is also the Member of Parliament for Essikado-Kitan was contributing to the on-going debate on the leadership of the House.

"I am not demeaning the position of the Speaker, he is above the leadership debate and that he occupies a unique position in our democratic dispensation," He added.


Mr Ghartey explained that Members of Parliament elected the Speaker, and although the Constitution stipulated that a Member of Parliament could be elected as a Speaker, once elected the Speaker could not vote or contribute to debate.