Parliament reconvenes December 20

Parliament will reconvene on Tuesday December 20, 2016 to wrap up the Third and final meeting of the fourth and final session of the Sixth Parliament of the Fourth republic.

The House, which went on recess before the 2016 general elections, is expected to sit for three days during which outstanding Bills and issues, as well constitutional provisions leading to the dissolution of the Sixth Parliament of the Fourth Republic will be deliberated.

A statement issued by the Public Affairs Directorate of Parliament and signed by Ms Kate Addo, the Deputy Director of the outfit said the highlight of the sitting would be the presentation of the ‘State of the Nation Address’ by President John Dramani Mahama on Thursday December 22, 2016.

The Sixth Parliament with a total of 275 legislators- 147 on the Majority National Democratic Congress (NDC) side, 123 Minority New Patriotic Party (NPP) MP’s, with three independent legislators and one lawmaker each from the Convention People’s Party and the People’s National Convention- would be dissolved on the midnight of January 6, 2016.

The next Parliament, the Seventh in the Fourth Republic will be inaugurated on January 7, 2017.

Meanwhile, Parliament will from December 19, 2016 start the registration of Members of Parliament elect to the Seventh Parliament.

The registration is to enable the issuance of identification cards that will enable the members-elect vote for the selection of a Speaker and other officials for the Seventh Parliament.

The next Parliament would have a majority NPP with 171 seats and a minority of 104 NDC legislators.