Respect due process: NPP’s Rabi Salifu slams Mahama over speaker election

The endorsement of Alban Bagbin as Speaker of Parliament by President John Dramani Mahama has drawn sharp criticism from Rabi Salifu, the National Deputy Communications Director of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

Rabi Salifu questioned the transparency of the process, arguing that the president’s open endorsement undermined the integrity of parliamentary proceedings, speaking on JoyNews’ Newsfile on January 11.

“It was needless for the President to openly say, ‘Get this person to be the leader,’ instead of allowing the electoral processes we all expected,” she stated, expressing her concern over what she perceived as undue interference in a critical democratic process.

The debate stems from Ghana’s unique parliamentary situation, often referred to as a “hung parliament,” where neither the New Patriotic Party (NPP) nor the National Democratic Congress (NDC) holds a decisive majority.

This precarious balance has heightened scrutiny over parliamentary decisions, making the election of a Speaker particularly significant.

Rabi Salifu emphasized the importance of respecting parliamentary due process, especially given the heightened political sensitivity of a hung Parliament.

“The hung Parliament numbers were very critical, and seeing what happened was only justified by the need to respect due process.

However, openly endorsing a candidate detracted from the principle of electoral transparency within Parliament,” she explained.

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