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30.11.2021 Headlines

Bagbin has defied the law; his action akin to coup d’etat – Fixing The Country Movement

Bagbin has defied the law; his action akin to coup detat – Fixing The Country Movement
30.11.2021 LISTEN

Pressure group, Fixing The Country Movement wants the Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Alban Bagbin to be ruthlessly dealt with for his role in the process leading to the rejection of the 2022 budget.

After a walkout by the Majority Members last Friday, the Minority MP voted in a one-sided House to reject the approval of the 2022 budget statement.

The Majority Caucus in Parliament after the budget was rejected accused the Speaker of Parliament of being biased in the processes leading to the rejection of the budget for which reason made them stage the walk out.

In a press release from Fixing The Country Movement today, it said Speaker Alban Bagbin’s actions last Friday was an assault on Parliament.

In the statement signed by convener Ernest Kofi Owusu Bempah, the movement is pushing for the Speaker to be ruthlessly dealt with.

“Let's face it, Bagbin has belligerently defied the law and thrust aside the Constitution in an attempt to assault the Akufo-Addo presidency in a fashion akin to coup d’etat,” part of the release reads.

It adds, “The Speaker violated Article 104 of the constitution and Order 109 of the standing orders of Parliament.

“Ghana needs to follow suit and deal with Bagbin ruthlessly. Every true defender of democracy ought to stand up and be counted. The horrific assault on our democracy by the speaker must not go unchallenged.”

According to the Fixing The Country Movement, Speaker Alban Bagbin must be investigated and if possible removed from office for his posture in the discourse of the 2022 budget statement in parliament

Read the full statement from Fixing The Country Movement below:

Fixing The Country Movement Calls for Investigations and possible removal of Bagbin from office.

“When institutions of democracy goes too far, it actually weakens our respect for judicial institutions.”

These are the words of Newt Gingrich, former Speaker of the United States House of Representatives. He served as the 50th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 1995 to 1999.

The quote above is attributed to him in reaction to a stalemate in Congress over the 1999 budget surplus.

Several decades after Gingrich’s famous intervention in Congress, Rt. Honourable Speaker of Ghana’s Parliament, Alban Bagbin failed to lead in manner in a manner that epitomizes integrity and respect for the institutions of democracy.

Fixing the country Movement deems Bagbin’s extraordinary claim of parliamentary privilege as a speaker, to covertly attempt to engage in constitutional coup d’etat with connivance of the minority caucus during the passage of the 2022 Budget statement, not only as a disagree to the institution of parliament but sees it as an affront to due process.

Lets face it, Bagbin has belligerently defied the law and thrust aside the Constitution in an attempt to assault the Akufo-Addo presidency in a fashion akin to coup d’etat.

The Speaker violated Article 104 of the constitution and Order 109 of the standing orders of Parliament.

Indeed his troubling departure from conventions and laid down due process must be a matter of concen to us all.

Parliament House was designed as a classical House consecrated to democracy, which is why the speaker’s unprecedented assault on our democracy ought to be investigated and if possible remove from office.

Most legislatures all over the world have a way of dealing with the Bagbin- like situation that we finds ourselves in. They have established procedures to investigate and, if necessary, remove undesired speakers from office. In 1695, the British House of Commons empanelled a committee to investigate Speaker Sir John Trevor; in 1989 the US House of Representatives empanelled the Ethics Committee to investigate Speaker Jim Wright. The same thing occurred in the Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago in 1995. Speaker Seapaul was eventually removed from office.

Ghana needs to follow suits and deal with Bagbin ruthlessly. Every true defender of democracy ought to stand up and be counted. The horrific assault on our democracy by the speaker must not go unchallenged.

We must collectively show to the country and to the world that we would not be diverted from our duty to invalidate the speaker’s actions.

And despite the desecration of our democracy by the speaker, Parliament must uphold its responsibility to the Constitution and to the Ghanaian people.

Long live Ghana!!

(Signed)

Ernest Kofi Owusu Bempah Bonsu, Political Strategist /Convener- Fixing The Country Movement

Eric Nana Yaw Kwafo
Eric Nana Yaw Kwafo

JournalistPage: EricNanaYawKwafo

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