Professor Ransford Gyampo, a Political Science lecturer at the University of Ghana, has encouraged Members of Parliament (MPs) to adopt best practices from other hung parliaments that have been able to exercise their duties without scuffles.
“A hung parliament presents two-sided options to us, you can make it chaotic, you can make it calm, if it is the next session going to be chaotic, it will be because the lawmakerswill want to flex their muscles.
“If politicians want to flex their muscles, if majority group wants to assert a certain strength that does not exist, if minority group will want to be intransigent and say we also have the muscles to flex, then it is going to be chaotic,” Prof. Gyampo cautioned.
Ahead of the commencement of the second session of the eighth Parliament on January 25, Prof. Gyampo noted that the current Parliament cannot deliver on its mandate if the leadership and members of both caucuses fail to use tact and diplomacy.
Proceedings in Parliament on December 20, 2021, were brought to a halt following the fisticuff among members of the two sides of the House, the chaos erupted when the First Deputy Speaker, Joseph Osei-Owusu, allegedly tried to vacate his seat for the Second Deputy Speaker, Andrew Amoako Asiamah, to partake in the ongoing voting exercise.
Following the incident, Parliament adjourned proceedings to January 25, thereby cutting short any attempt to approve or reject the Electronic Transaction Levy Bill.
Prof. Gyampo urged MPs to engage in effective and efficient dialogues when discussing issues of national interest in their quest to climb higher the ladder of democratic progression and also strive to protect the country’s image.
“I would urge both the Majority and Minority groups to appreciate that all over the world and in Africa, Ghana is hailed as a beacon of successful democratic story and so we should live according to the accolade and description that has been given to us.
“Let the Majority group appreciate the fact that they do not have the muscle to flex, let the Minority group also appreciate the fact that you have an elected government that has the mandate to govern since you cannot unnecessarily thwart its efforts and let there be a sincere dialogue amongst them,” Prof. Gyampo appealed. –myjoyonline.com
