Ahmed Osumanu Halid writes: The Circus/Drama Between Parliament And The Executive

The recent drama or circus between our two important constitutional bodies, the Executive and the Legislature calls for concern.

Our Constitution is an infused one, as it allows our elected members of Parliament, to also get a bite on the Executive slate.

Parliament is the authority or body that has the power and the jurisdiction to make laws for the governing of the country. It does this through the passage of the bills which are normally piloted by the Executive.

The bill is a proposed law or legislation. After the bill has gone through various stages, it is then passed into a law, called an Act of Parliament.

This bill/ legislation, the Anti-Gay bill for short, is now presented to the head of the Executive, that is the President for his assent. After the assent, the bill becomes a law, it is then gazetted and the public will then have access to it.

Parliament, through a private member’s motion, initiated the bill. The bill went through the entire law-making process.

As soon as Parliament was going to submit the bill to the Executive for assent, a citizen rushed to the Apex Court asking the court to denounce the bill or the law, according to him, the bill or the law was unconstitutional, as it didn’t meet the nuances or the consideration of the Constitution.

Then followed a scathing letter transposed to Parliament via the Executive Secretary of the President. The content of the letter was described by many as disrespectful, appalling and insulting to the House.

The letter angered the head of the Legislature and some prominent members of the House from both sides of the House. The Speaker who didn’t take it lightly at all and in a professional manner, adjourned the House sine die.

In the end, the bill is still in the bosom of Parliament as the Executive claimed that its hands are tied because the matter is currently before the Supreme Court.

Around the same time, Parliament had also decided to withhold the approval of the Ministers and their Deputies who had gone through the Appointment Committee vetting process.
This is the drama going on and those who are suffering are the people.

For instance, the Health, Sanitation and Water Resources, Gender, Women, Children and Social Protection and the Greater Accra Coordinating Council have no Ministers to drive the policies and programs of their various Ministries.

I am calling for respect, co-operation and coordination between these bodies. They both need each other to sustain the governance process of our country.

I believe it will not be a defeatist posture on the part of the Executive to withdraw its letter sent to Parliament and I am sure one of our distinguished Speakers in the person of Rt Hon. Alban Sumani Bagbin will accept it and let the sleeping dogs lie for the sake of the country.
The current Parliament cannot be isolated by the Executive as it is a slim one-seat difference.

Let’s stop the circus and the drama for the sake of our citizens.

Respect, coordination and cooperation should be reasonable traits, not bugabuga posture.
Ghana must be the winner.

Ahmed
The Servant