The Majority in Parliament has accused the Minority Leader of the House, Osei Kyei Mensah-Bonsu, of being economical with the truth on Citi TV’s Politicos, when he intimated that he was in the dark as to the reasons for the recall of members from their recess.
At a press conference today [Wednesday], the Majority revealed that the motion for the request for the recall of Parliament, which is connected to President John Mahama and the Ford gift saga, was signed by Mr. Mensah-Bonsu himself.
The Majority thus accused the minority of mischievously trying to throw dirt at President Mahama as the Majority Leader of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, confirmed that the motion was “filed and signed by the Minority leader, Honourable Osei Kyie Mensah Bonsu for and on behalf of the Minority caucus.”
The Minority Leader had told the host of Politicos on Citi TV, Umaru Sanda Amadu, that he had not received any formal communication about the reason for the summons and that when he “heard from the grapevine that Parliament was being summoned” he was taken aback.
But Alban Bagbin described as strange the fact that, “the Minority Leader had earlier claimed on Accra-based Citi FM that he was not aware of the recall of Parliament when he signed the motion that formed the basis for the recall.”
Alban Bagbin
“It is clear even to the uninitiated that this recall of Parliament and the New Patriotic Party’s strategy that has heralded it has been borne out of clear mischief and a desperate attempt to throw as much dirt at President John Dramani Mahama ahead of the December 7 elections,” he added.
Minority was not officially consulted on recall
But Mr. Mensah Bonsu, who was asked to explain why he said he had no idea why the Speaker of Parliament had summoned Members of Parliament back to the House from their recess, stood by his points.
According to him, his remarks on Politicos were because he had not been formally consulted by the Speaker as is the practice.
Speaking on Eyewitness News, the Minority Leader explained that, “The reason why I said so is this: if you file a motion, ordinarily, the Speaker is the person vested with that singular authority to accept the motion or reject the motion or to maybe accept with some amendments.”
“Before the speaker avails himself for any of these rules, they engage the person who proposed the motion. All I said was that, I was not involved and was not consulted by the speaker. Seven (7) days after the speaker receives any such motion as we submit, the constitution provides that he must summon Parliament.”
Mr. Mensah Bonsu maintained that, he ought to have been consulted before the recall despite the absence of any constitutional requirement of same.
“My own rationalization was that, what the Speaker ought to have done was not done; that is consulting me about the status of the motion… There is no constitutional imperative; but by practice and convention, that is what is done everywhere in any jurisdiction,” he added.
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By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana