Party leaders shouldn’t impose parliamentary leadership – Prof. Asare

Professor Stephen Kwaku Asare, a prominent legal practitioner and constitutional scholar, has criticized former President John Dramani Mahama for instructing the National Democratic Congress (NDC) parliamentary caucus to elect Alban Bagbin as Speaker of the 9th Parliament.

Speaking on Joy News’ Newsfile, Prof. Asare raised concerns about what he described as the excessive influence of party leaders and the executive branch over parliamentary affairs, warning that such practices erode the independence of Ghana’s legislature.

“I don’t understand why political parties can sit somewhere and impose leaders on parliamentarians,” Prof. Asare said, his tone underscoring his frustration with the state of Ghana’s governance.

“If we elect parliamentarians who are not trusted enough to appoint their own leaders, and party bosses must impose leaders on them, I think that’s a huge problem.”

The critique stems from a directive issued by Mahama before his investiture, where he formally instructed the NDC parliamentary caucus to nominate Alban Bagbin as Speaker.

The decision, according to Mahama, was based on Bagbin’s distinguished career in Parliament and his potential to strengthen the legislature’s role in Ghana’s democratic development.

Bagbin’s extensive experience, which includes decades as a Member of Parliament for Nadwoli, serving as both Minority and Majority Leader, and his term as Speaker of the 8th Parliament, made him an appealing candidate.

However, Prof. Asare believes the manner in which the directive was issued reinforces a troubling precedent that sidelines parliamentary autonomy.

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