The presence of two ministers in Parliament causes stir

Accra , March 4, GNA - The Majority and Minority in Parliament on Thursday heckled each other over the unannounced presence of two ministers in the house to participate in the debate of the President's State of the Nation Address.

Ms Betty Mould Iddrisu, Minister of Justice and Attorney General and Trade Minister, Ms Hannah Tetteh.


Attention was drawn to the two ministers when Ms Tetteh called the Speaker, Mrs Joyce Bamford - Addo to rule Papa Owusu- Ankomah, Member of Parliament for Sekondi, out of order for misleading the House. She was reacting to Mr Owusu-Ankomah's assertion that doing business in Ghana today was very expensive in the era of the National Democratic Congress.

Ms Tetteh said the source of Mr Owusu- Ankomah's claims were based on the editorial opinion of the World Street Journal and could not be accepted as factual in relation to the current state of doing business in Ghana. Mr Isaac Asiamah, Member for Atwima- Mponua who had the floor on a point of order said: "The unnecessary executive interference in the affairs of the legislature is unhealthy and dangerous to our democracy. Parliament must be independent."


He said if the majority did not have the men to debate the issues they should say it than appealing for executive interference. This compelled the Majority Leader, Mr Cletus Avoka to quote Article 111 to support the presence of the ministers in the house. Ruling on the matter, Mrs Bamford- Addo said since the Constitution approved that the Executive could debate on the floor of the house, the ministers had not erred.