The Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, is the new President of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association International (CPA). He was unanimously elected the President of the CPA, an organization of over 180 member Parliaments of the COMMONWEALTH of nations, at the just ended 65th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference (CPC) hosted by Canada in Halifax. Speaker Bagbin, until his election as President, was the Vice-President of the CPA.
As President of the CPA, Ghana has been given the opportunity to host the 66th Conference of the CPA in Accra from the 30th of September to the 7th of October 2023. The election of Rt. Hon. Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin as President of the CPA makes him the head of the CPA and he will preside over the next CPC in Ghana while also serving as the Chair of the Elections Committee of the Association. He is also a member of the Executive Committee of the Association amongst other roles and duties constitutionally bestowed on him.
At this conference, Ghana had a double do. The Majority Leader, Hon. Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, was also elected the Vice Chairman of the Association. By this election, he holds the second most important position of the Executive Committee and the Coordinating Committee of the Association.
He thus becomes the Deputy Spokesperson of the CPA and will assist the Chairman of the Association, Hon. Ian Liddell-Grainger, MP, Member of the House of Commons, UK, in providing leadership for the running of the Executive Committee of the Association.
Major issues that were discussed at the annual conference included amendments to the Constitution of the Association to make Parliaments in the Commonwealth more relevant, accessible, technologically savvy, gender sensitive, balanced, and inclusive of the youth, and the marginalized, especially persons with disabilities.
Rt. Hon. Alban S. K. Bagbin, undoubtedly, the most experienced MP of the Parliament of Ghana with the support of one of the second most experienced legislator of the Parliament, Hon. Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, comes in handy at a time the Association has been making epileptic progress at transforming itself from a Charity Organization under UK Law into an international, inter-parliamentary organization. Tried and tested leadership is definitely needed to consummate this aspiration and the hopes of the over 180 branches from both Anglophone and Francophone countries are very high and expectant from the leadership of Speaker Bagbin and Ian Liddell-Grainger.
With the indomitable spirit and support of Ghana and all Ghanaians, these Parliamentary icons will not only lift high the flag of the country, but lead in marketing the culture, traditions, governance and the rich wealth and hospitality of our people, at the 66th Conference of the CPC next year. Success can only be guaranteed, in this regard, when Ghanaians work together. We therefore call on all compatriots to rise up to the occasion and lend a helping hand to celebrate this historic achievement of the Country.
The Parliament of Ghana was represented at the 65th CPC in Halifax, Canada by a crack team led by the Speaker, and included the Majority Leader, Hon Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, the Minority Leader, Hon Haruna Iddrisu, Hon Ahmed Ibrahim, Deputy Minority Whip, Hon Thomas Mbomba, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Hon Lydia Seyram Alhassan, Deputy Majority Whip, Hon Comfort Cudjoe-Ghansah Doyoe, Second Deputy Minority Whip, and Hon Nana Ama Dokua Asiamah-Adjei, MP of Akwapim North. The Clerk To Parliament, Mr. Cyril Kwabena Nsiah and some members of staff were also part of the delegation.