Former Majority Leader and current Member of Parliament for Suame, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, has advised Parliament’s leadership to engage in meaningful dialogue with the Speaker of the House to resolve the recent impasse disrupting parliamentary operations.
With the December 7 general elections drawing near, Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu underscored the importance of parliamentary unity and functionality, stressing that the issues facing the House must be settled to avoid any negative impact on the upcoming December 7 general elections.
Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu indicated that communication and collaboration are essential means for a proactive approach to addressing the tensions that have arisen following the Speaker’s recent decision to declare four parliamentary seats vacant on Thursday, October 17.
Alban Bagbin’s declaration subsequently led to the adjournment of the House indefinitely, raising concerns about the potential consequences if these issues remain unresolved.
He also warned that a continued deadlock in Parliament could affect both the legal and procedural frameworks that are critical for a smooth election cycle.
The Suame legislator added that the Electoral Commission is supposed to bring a Constitutional Instrument before Parliament which he said hasn’t yet been done. According to him, the CI will outline the legal framework for conducting the December 7 elections without which he said, would be incomplete, which could complicate the electoral processes and disrupt the timeline.
Speaking to the media on Monday, October 28, Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu noted, “Maybe we need to engage because elections should be held. And if elections must be held, every time that the presidential and general elections are going to be held, the Electoral Commission, for instance, will bring a CI to regulate the elections.
“What happens if they have not brought it? What happens to the conduct of elections? We need a vote on account for the next succeeding financial year and that has not been done. I think we need to have Parliament recalled to deal with this.”