Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, the Minister for Parliamentary Affairs and Member of Parliament for Suame Constituency in the Ashanti Region, has criticized the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, for holding a press conference on his own.
Speaking in an interview on Angel TV on November 22, 2024, the former Majority Leader expressed his disapproval of Bagbin’s decision to address the media without consulting parliamentary leadership.
This criticism follows a recent Supreme Court ruling against Bagbin’s declaration of four parliamentary seats as vacant.
According to Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, Bagbin’s actions undermine the collective representation of Parliament, setting a bad precedent for governance.
“I have a problem with the press conference. If you are a speaker, you are a Speaker for Parliament, and you can’t speak on your own. If you speak for Parliament, it means that whatever you say must reflect input from the Majority and Minority Leaders, to ensure you genuinely represent the institution,” he said.
The legislator also criticized the Clerk of Parliament for supporting Bagbin during the press conference, arguing that it was inappropriate.
“What happened the last time, the Clerk of Parliament was also supporting the Speaker as he sat alone to address the press, it was wrong. He was talking for himself, and I disagree with that. As a speaker, you don’t represent yourself; you represent the institution of Parliament. If you want to say something, you must first meet with parliamentary leadership and inform them of your intent to meet the press,” he added.
Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu argued that such actions are unprecedented globally. “As a speaker to hold a press conference himself, I have never seen such a thing before. It doesn’t exist anywhere in the world. So, where are we heading to? It seems he is distancing himself from Parliament and portraying himself as if he is the Parliament…dialogue is key.”
Background
Speaker Bagin held a press conference on November 6, 2024, to address the media in the ongoing Parliament Supreme Court brouhaha,
Controversy arose after the Supreme Court stayed the Speaker’s decision to declare four seats vacant, following the affected MPs’ decision to “cross the carpet” by filing to contest the December 7, 2024, parliamentary elections in different capacities—either as independents or on the tickets of other political parties. This action diverges from the basis on which these MPs were originally elected to the House.
The affected seats include those held by Cynthia Morrison (Agona West), Kwadjo Asante (Suhum), Andrew Amoako Asiamah (Fomena), and Peter Kwakye Ackah (Amenfi Central).
Both sides of the House were locked in a battle over which party holds the Majority, as the Supreme Court ruling positioned the NDC in the Minority while the Speaker’s ruling placed the NPP in the Minority.
The core contention centred on whether the Supreme Court has the authority to restrict parliamentary decisions.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has by a 5-2 decision ruled that the Speaker, Alban Bagbin’s declaration of four seats as vacant is unconstitutional.
At a brief sitting on Tuesday, November 12, 2024, the Chief Justice, Gertrude Torkornoo said the Speaker’s declaration cannot hold.
