Why Fomena MP was elected 2nd Dep. Speaker of Parliament - Muntaka Mubarak clarifies

Kandey Alhassan January 11, 2021 0

Andrew Asiamah Amoako

 On January 7, 2021, the Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament was elected as the sole independent Member of Parliament of the 8th Parliament of the Fourth Republic.

Mohammed-Muntaka Mubarak, the NDC's Chief Whip and endorsed by Alexander Afenyo Markin, the NPP's Deputy Leader, nominated Andrew Asiamah Amoako, who has publicly announced that he would caucus with the NPP side in Parliament.

Speaking to Joy News, when they went into the election of a Speaker for the 8th Parliament, the Asawase MP exposed the NDC's policy.

He announced that he had used persuasive MPs on both sides for over two weeks as to why Alban Bagbin should be elected Speaker of Parliament.

He clarified that Bagbin would assist in the supervision of the executive duty of Parliament, which was enshrined in the Constitution of 1992.

Muntaka clarified that the party agreed to be magnanimous with the victory after the candidate of the NDC was elected Speaker because they had suggested within their caucus that Bernard Ahiafor, Akatsi South MP and Dr Dominic Akuritinga Ayine, Bolgatanga East MP, would be proposed for the Second Deputy Speaker position if Bagbin did not win the Speakership position.

In addition, Muntaka suggested that after Alban Bagbin was elected Speaker of Parliament in the midst of the turmoil that had arisen earlier, the MPs decided that they did not want to spend another three hours or more on each round of voting for the first and second Deputy Speakers of Parliament, as this would have further delayed the inauguration of President Akufo-Addo and Vice President Dr. Baw

Muntaka disclosed that the NPP side insisted on proposing both nominees for the first and second deputy Speakers but the NDC referred them to the Constitutional provision that the first and second deputy speakers must not be members of the same political party. At this stage, they, the NDC, decided that it would be prudent to give that slot to the independent MP.

“We came together and had to convince our General Secretary…and agreed that we nominate the independent [MP] instead of nominating our own.

“We had to rush back and talk to Dominic Ayine and Bernard Ahiafor…they understood what [was] at stake because we needed to carry the house [along with us]…they all agreed and we gave it out,” Muntaka further revealed.