Parliament: Minority demands pass for private members' bill

Minority Leader Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu is supporting calls for Parliament to amend its laws to allow individual lawmakers to introduce private members’ bill for consideration.

According to him, this could help MPs carry the concerns of their constituents to the executive through parliament for attention.

The Minority leader’s comments follows calls by philosophy professor, Kwame Gyekye, for the need for private members’ bill to be considered by Parliament.

Professor Gyekye thinks such a move will address the issue of an inclusive governance system and get the concerns of ordinary Ghanaians to the appropriate arms of government for redress.

Speaking to XYZ News, Kyei Mensah Bonsu says even though there is a constitutional provision that makes it difficult for this to be realized, parliament could find a possible way out.

It is known that parliament shall not review any bill which has financial implications unless it involves reviewing downwards any such allocations. This would mean that no MP a private members bill whatever the intent,” he explained

He was quick to add however, that this did not mean that an MP or parliament as institution, on its own introduce the bill, as misinterpreted by many speakers of parliament.

He said the real problem stemmed from the inability of the Ghanaian parliament to act independently of the executive organ of government.