Parliamentary Watchdog, the African Centre for Parliamentary Affairs (ACEPA), has backed Speaker Bagbin’s one-week ultimatum to an unidentified MP who made the “daughter of a murderer” comments to own up or face his wrath.
This follows a petition by the family of the late President Rawlings and traditional leaders from Anlo for Parliament to investigate and bring the MP to book.
Speaking to Starr News on the back of this, Executive Director of ACEPA, Dr. Rasheed Draman, said such despicable behaviours bring the name of the House into disrepute.
“Honestly, this shouldn’t be allowed because we can’t predict what kind of comments others might make tomorrow. We don’t want our Members of Parliament insulting each other in the house. Tomorrow, someone might wake up and start insulting the Majority Leader, Minority Leader, or even the Speaker. Today, someone made a comment while the Speaker was addressing the house, remarking that some of the new members are only a few days old, and one person responded by saying, “It doesn’t matter.”
“I believe this is not about the Speaker, but about the respect for the office and for the institution of Parliament. I support any measures that would discourage this behavior, as it tarnishes the reputation of our democracy. We’re all working to strengthen the democracy we have. If we lose that, I honestly don’t know what we’ll have left, especially in a sub-region that’s notorious for military adventurism.”
Background
The controversy surrounding the “daughter of a murderer” comment in Parliament centers on a derogatory remark directed at Dr. Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings, the Member of Parliament for Klottey Korle and daughter of the late former President Jerry John Rawlings.
The incident occurred during a parliamentary session on February 4, 2025 amid heated discussions commemorating the 60th anniversary of Joseph Boakye Danquah’s death.
As Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin addressed the House, an unidentified male voice from the Minority backbench interrupted, shouting, “Daughter of a murderer, sit down!”
The comment insinuated that Dr. Agyeman-Rawlings’ father was responsible for past political killings, a claim that has been a subject of historical debate.
The outburst led to immediate chaos in the chamber, with members expressing shock and disapproval.
Source: Ghana/Starr FM 103.5FM/Benjamin Sackey
