The controversial Road Traffic Amendment Regulation which sought to give Members of Parliament (MPs) and judges the privilege of using sirens has been resubmitted to parliament.
The LI had to be withdrawn after public outrage over the inclusion of Members of Parliament (MPs).
Speaking after the LI was relaid by Minister for Tourism and Creative Arts Andrew Egyapa-Mercer, MP for Tamale South Haruna Iddrisu questioned the basis for the exclusion of the speaker and the Chief Justice from the list of individuals entitled to the use of sirens.
He called for the laying of the LI to be arrested as a result. First deputy speaker Joseph Osei-Owusu called on the Subsidiary Legislation Committee which had the LI referred to it by the speaker to attend to it and report back to the house.
Asawase MP, Muntaka Mohammed on his part supported the call for the LI to be withdrawn. Assin Central MP Kennedy Agyapong on his part slammed his colleague MPs for their cowardice in the face of the public backlash.
According to former NPP flag bearer aspirant parliament should have stood its ground to insist on MPs being given access to sirens.
Majority leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin on his part blamed the development of indecision on the part of the political class.
The Effutu MP demanded an apology for the chairman of the subsidiary legislation committee Dr. Dominic Ayine who was left to dry during the outrage over the LI. Afenyo-Markin warned such postures will further erode public confidence in politicians.
He consequently asked for the LI to be withdrawn so an amendment could be made to capture the judiciary, MPs, and the speaker arguing measures should be made to avoid abuse.
The speaker of parliament on his part further slammed the MPs for chickening out when the public came roaring over the matter.
Alban Bagbin consequently rejected the calls for the withdrawal of the LI but rather asked the Subsidiary Legislation Committee to delve into it and make recommendations to the house. According to him, MPs can be restricted to only deploying the sirens during official assignments.
Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/103.5FM/Ibrahim Alhassan
