The Speaker of Parliament, Rt Hon. Alban Bagbin has stated that there is nothing like an NDC or NPP elected Speaker adding that his office is non-partisan.
Speaking on the floor of Parliament on Friday, Bagbin stated that he occupies an impartial non-partisan office adding that he will not yield to pressure to rubber stamp or obstruct the work of the executive.
“The Speaker of Parliament of Ghana occupies a non-partisan impartial office…there is nothing known as ‘NPP Speaker’ or ‘NDC Speaker’. The Speaker is not a partisan political office, regardless of which party nominated or voted to elect him or her,” the Speaker said.
He added that equal number -137- of parliamentary seats on both the NDC and NPP side is clear message by Ghanaians to urge the Parliamentarians to chart a new course and bring an end to unbridled partisanship that has bedeviled that the House over the years.
On Friday, NPP Members of Parliament went to Parliament at 4am to occupy the majority side of the House to avoid a showdown with NDC MPs.
The NPP MPs were outwitted on January 6th during the election of the Speaker of Parliament when NDC MPs went into Parliament at dawn and occupied the majority side of the House.
Pictures from the House showed NPP MPs who were taking a nap as they waited for the Speaker of the House and MPs from the NDC side.
Both the NDC and the NPP have both 137 seats in Parliament with one Independent MP.
The Independent MP, Asiamah Amoako has, however, indicated to the Speaker of Parliament that he will do business with the NPP caucus.
Meanwhile, leader of the NDC caucus in Parliament Haruna Iddrisu says his side has no difficulties sitting on the Minority side of the chamber.
According to him, the caucus is confident that when the courts decide on the various challenges against some parliamentary seats, they will form the majority without controversies.
“The Ghanaian people want Parliament to work for them and in their favour. In the interest of the Ghanaian people, our side has no difficulties sitting on the left,” Mr Iddrisu told the media Thursday.
Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/103.5FM
