Mr Albin Bagbin, Minority Leader in Parliament, on Wednesday, called for an amendment of the constitutional provision for the presentation of Private Membership Bill to parliament.
He described the provision that consideration of a private membership bill should not impose any financial constrain on the government as a “disincentive”. Mr Bagbin made the call at a forum organised by the Political Science Students Association (POSSA) of the University of Ghana under the theme, “The legislature and the Consolidation of Democracy in Ghana.”
It was to provide a platform for the majority and minority to discuss the importance of the legislature in consolidating democratic governance but Papa Owusu-Ankomah, the Majority Leader, failed to turn-up.
The presentation of private membership bill on condition that it did not add any financial burden to the government was “ambiguous, as all bills would inferable have financial cost,” Mr Bagbin explained.
The Minority Leader noted that parliament lacked the necessary structures, logistics and capacity to play its watchdog role on the executive effectively, “as Parliament is young in terms of arms of governments”. He called for support for MPs to operate effectively to ensure good governance.
Dr Nicholas Amponsah, a Political Science lecturer appealed to the public to desist from attacking parliamentarians who criticised government policies since criticism shaped governance and enhanced mulit-party democracy.
Source: GhanaWeb
