This is very strange – Majority Leader on Bagbin’s decision to adjourn Parliament sine die

Alexander Kwamina Afenyo-Markin, the Majority Leader, has expressed discontent with Speaker Alban Bagbin's decision to adjourn the house sine die on March 20, 2024, without allowing room for commentary from both sides.

Afenyo-Markin emphasised the fundamental principles of democracy, expressing his disappointment at the Speaker's abrupt action.

This ensued following the Speaker's disclosure of his own opinions regarding a letter received from the Presidency via the Clerk of Parliament directing the House to stop sending the recent Anti-LGBT+ Bill to the president for his assent.

"It is very disappointing that after Mr. Speaker had made known his own views about the letter sent from the presidency through the clerk of parliament, he adjourned the house sine die without giving room for the leadership of the house to even comment; this we find very strange, but this is a democracy,” he said.

The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, decided to suspend the consideration of ministerial nominees, citing a case challenging a part of the process.

Bagbin explained that an interlocutory injunction filed at the Supreme Court by Member of Parliament for South Dayi, Rockson-Nelson Etse K. Dafeamekpor, restricted him from proceeding with the process.

However, the genesis of this parliamentary deadlock is a cease-and-desist letter issued by the Presidency to the Parliament of Ghana.

The letter cautioned Parliament to restrain from transmitting the recent anti-LGBT+ Bill for President Akufo-Addo’s assent, citing two yet-to-be-determined interlocutory applications at the Supreme Court.

In response to these legal entanglements, Speaker Bagbin emphasised Parliament's commitment to upholding the rule of law and reiterated the institution's inability to proceed with the approval of new ministers given similar circumstances.

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