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The Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Alban. S. K. Bagbin, has said that many residents have misplaced religion in democracy’s capacity and promise to enhance their lives.
In addressing the destiny of Ghana’s Parliament, the Speaker said that “the wave of disillusionment that has affected many countries, which includes Ghana, have to be reversed to repair desire in the strength and promise of democracy. The position of Parliament is crucial on this reversal effort.”
He was speaking at the University of Professional Studies (UPSA), Accra, on the occasion of the ‘Third Eminent Guest Lecture Series’ on the topic “The Future of Parliament in Ghana’s Democratic Governance.”
Mr Bagbin emphasized the significance of strengthening Parliament’s oversight drive, acknowledging that even as Parliament is endowed with vast powers below numerous Articles of the 1992 Constitution (103, 69, 82, 181, and so on), the Legislature’s oversight mandate has been the weakest hyperlink in the course of the Fourth Republic.
He believes that the simplest manner to efficaciously put into effect this oversight characteristic so that you can enhance duty and transparency is for each aspects of the House to take a bipartisan and impartial technique in how Parliament video display units the control of the State and its resources. “The financial incentives and carrots that may be won for siding with the government, facilitated via way of means of intense loyalty and strict celebration discipline,” he said, “have all contributed to the weakening of Parliament’s function and oversight energy.”
He referred to that withinside the future, Parliament will want to acquire economic autonomy so as for the Legislature to be completely prepared with the energy to supervise the Executive. He emphasized that “in spite of the layout of the Constitution, Parliament has the energy of the purse, and approval from the Consolidated Fund can handiest accept via way of means of Parliament for authorities to adopt their projects.” Ironically, the government approves Parliament’s budget, giving the government tremendous and overbearing powers over the Legislature. The contemporary arrangement, wherein the Executive approves Parliament’s personal budget, has the ability to undermine the legislature’s oversight capacity.
Under the shadow of a hung parliament, Rt. Hon. Bagbin called for strategic engagements, consensus building, and conflict resolution, which will provide a channel for both sides of the House to approach societal issues with a single goal in mind: the interests of the Ghanaian people.
He emphasised the importance of including traditional and religious leaders, as well as civil society organisations (CSO) in the work parliament, in order to improve parliament-citizen relations even further. “One such initiative will be the ‘Citizen Bureau,’ which will be Parliament’s partnership with CSOs,” he says.
This will enable such civil society actors to legislate using residual powers in order to establish a governance organ. By doing so, Speaker Bagbin believes that Parliament will become more aware of its shortcomings and the gaps that need to be filled in order for the Legislature to improve.
Source: Ghanatodayonline.com
