Bagbin treating Parliament like his ‘Personal Property’ – Afenyo-Markin

The Majority Leader in Parliament, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, has criticized Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin for allegedly mishandling parliamentary affairs by refusing to recall Parliament for an emergency sitting.

Afenyo-Markin accused the Speaker of treating Parliament like his “personal property” and making unilateral decisions about its operations.

Speaking during an interview with JoyNews, he expressed frustration over what he described as a lack of cooperation from the Speaker, particularly on urgent government business.

“Look at the shutdown happening in Parliament. The Speaker has taken Parliament as his personal property; when it pleases him, he opens Parliament. Even when there is an issue that he could sit with us on, he says no,” Afenyo-Markin stated.

He further criticized Bagbin for his handling of a recent parliamentary impasse, accusing him of delaying government work despite court rulings that resolved the matter. “We as law-abiding citizens took the matter to court.

“The court ruled in our favour. They contested and lost. I waited upon him, but he did not act. When I finally wrote to him to open Parliament for us to do government business, look at his response—he’s not ready,” he lamented.

The Speaker’s refusal to recall Parliament followed Afenyo-Markin’s request for an emergency session to address pressing matters before the 2024 general elections. In his response, Speaker Bagbin emphasized the need to balance parliamentary responsibilities with the demands of the current political climate.

While he granted Afenyo-Markin’s request to convene Parliament on November 28 and 29 to discuss 22 key issues, he raised concerns about the proximity of these sessions to the general elections.

The Speaker highlighted the importance of allowing political parties and candidates sufficient time to engage with voters, present their manifestos, and account for their leadership over the past four years.

Bagbin’s stance reflects his view that the campaign season is a critical period for political engagement, requiring all stakeholders to prioritize electoral commitments while maintaining parliamentary oversight.

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