Parliament shares life with public
Majority and Minority still split over
Reconciliation Law
Accra (Greater Accra) 19 January 2002 - The controversy surrounding the National Reconciliation Bill resurrected at the National Theatre during the Public Forum on Parliament with the NDC and the NPP militantly defending their partisan positions on the issue until the Speaker Mr Peter Ala Adjetey ruled that enough was enough.
The Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo said it was the NPP which has it in its manifesto that, it would set up a reconciliation commission and owed it to their campaign promise and the majority would do that.
He wondered why those calling for the 1957 time frame would not call for the amendments of the entrenched provisions of the 1992 Constitution, which protected those who violated human rights.
Alhaji Mohammed Mumuni, NDC, Kumbungu and Ranking Member on Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs said that the Majority's objection of the time frame to begin from the independence era was to defame political opponents.
"The passage of the Bill means that there is a perceived agenda that is political, which is either regional or national to target political opponents," he said.
Nana Akufo-Addo and Mr. Mumuni were responding to a question as to what efforts were made to ascertain the views of Ghanaians on the issue which majority of the people recommended the time frame to start from 1957, but the majority in parliament rejected and passed the bill.
The Forum was on the theme: "Democratic Governance Under the 1992 Constitution-Challenges and Prospects", which drew a crowd and many asked questions freely.
Mr. Mumuni said, "if the bill was not passed to defame political opponents why was the frame set to cover only military regimes and not including civilian governments where there were gross human rights abuses."
He said if the time frame was extended, it would strengthen the independence of the commission to carry out with its duty without any influence and the suspicion that a political opponent was the target.
He said, it was surprising that the overwhelming national view following series of fora that the cut off point should be 1957 was rejected.
Nana Akufo-Addo debunked the claim, saying that the purpose of the bill was to respond to the cries of the victims throughout the country and that nobody would be victimised.
He said the previous government never made any commitment to reconcile with the people of this country and that there was no perceived political agenda to defame any political group in the country.
The Attorney-General said Parliament has been given the mandate by the people to enact laws for the nation and the Majority would not surrender its authority in Parliament to the Minority.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 19 January 2002 - Parliament has established two additional committees to strengthen its own budgetary autonomy and to take away executive influence over constitutional bodies through the manipulation of their budget.
The Speaker, Mr. Peter Ala Adjetey, announcing this at the Annual Public Forum on Parliament in Accra on Friday said Parliament was thus taking steps to amend its Standing Orders 151 clause (2) and 172 (2) of part 20.
The Judiciary Committee shall consist of a Chairman and 20 other members, which shall be responsible for consideration and submission of reports to Parliament on the estimates of the Judiciary, the practice which was hitherto undertaken by the Committee on Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs.
Mr. Ala Adjetey said, the earlier practice "was not satisfactory, as it had not enhanced or reflected the spirit and the principle of the independence of the Judiciary as enshrined in Articles 127 and 179 of the Constitution.
"The amendment was principally aimed at ensuring that the considerations designed to maintain the judicial and administrative independence of the Judiciary are brought to bear fully in the debates of the estimates relating thereto and not confused with the considerations that should inform debates on the estimates of other public institutions or ministries or departments".
The Speaker said, "equally the creation of the Special Budget Committee of Parliament, consisting of the Majority Leader as Chairman, the Minority Leader as Vice Chairman and 19 other members, is intended to provide for the proper examination and consideration of the estimates of Parliament, as well as other constitutionally independent bodies".
The bodies are the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), the Electoral Commission, the National Media Commission and National Commission on Civic Education (NCCE).
Mr. Ala Adjetey regretted that budget allocations for those institutions were drastically cut down by the Ministry of Finance before being presented to Parliament for approval. "This has seriously undermined the ability of Parliament to maintain effective oversight over executive activities especially in the realm of public finance.
"The amendments envisage the provision of a strong financial base for these institutions, for their development and to enhance the performance of their functions". Mr. Ala Adjetey said Article 108 of the constitution "ought to be amended to retain the substance of Parliament's power of the purse".
The provision "effectively undermines the traditional parliamentary power of the purse and makes Parliament near a toothless bulldog. No such restrictions apply to the Parliaments of the UK or the US", he said.
The Speaker said efforts were being made to ensure that the Member of Parliament has the requisite facilities to meet the demands of his constitutional responsibilities especially on welfare, residential and office accommodation, mobility and adequate staff.
He commended both the Majority and the Minority for displaying "very high sense of responsibility, patriotism and forbearance which is mainly what is expected of Honourable members".
Mr. Ala Adjetey warned against frequent walkouts, saying "even though walkout is a legitimate parliamentary strategy, it is effective only when it is rarely used and very quickly loses its significance while holding up important work, which the House ought to see through".
He called for public support for Parliament to make its work better through the submission of memoranda and bringing to the fore issues of national importance for debate.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 19 January 2002 - The Speaker of Parliament, Peter Ala Adjetey, on Friday said partisanship is not allowed in debates in parliament on issues of national character.
As much as possible, reconciliation, compromise and co-operation have been encouraged among members to arrive at suitable decisions on national matters, he said.
Mr. Ala Adjetey said in reaction to a question asked during question time of the 8th Annual Public Forum and Photo Exhibition of Parliament in Accra. It was on the theme, 'Democratic Governance under the 1992 constitution - Challenges and Prospects".
Squadron Leader Clend Sowu (Rtd), former member of parliament for Anlo asked what monitoring efforts were being taken to ensure that by 2005, the Free, Compulsory Universal Basic Education (FCUBE) would be continued as enjoined by the 1992 constitution.
The Speaker said the responsibility for ensuring the monitoring and success of the FCUBE programme is the responsibility of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Education.
Another questioner wanted to know whether there was a policy framework on the living structure of the people, the Minister for Finance, Mr Yaw Osafo Maafo said poverty reduction was a very important aspect of the economy.
Mr. Osafo-Maafo said a survey indicated that five regions were worse off than they were a year ago and as such temporary measures on strategic poverty reduction have been put in place while poverty alleviation funds have been made available to all the districts to save the situation.
Other questions and contributions included the need to go back to our roots to use indigenous names instead of foreign names and whether the reconciliation bill was not geared towards political opponents .
The rest were on the Media and the Judiciary concerning public fora on their stewardship and modalities to be put in place to ensure that the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFUND) was effectively implemented.
Ms. Christine Churcher, Minister in charge of Primary, Secondary and Girl Child Education and Mr Stephen Manu Balado, NPP- Ahafo Ano took turns to answer questions on education.
The questions bordered on why teacher trainees who fail in one subject are normally dismissed, why senior secondary school grandaunts are not allowed to do national service and why Higher National Diploma (HND) holders from the polytechnics are not allowed to pursue degree and post degree courses.
Ms. Churcher said it has been found out that some of the teacher trainees often do not have the required entry qualifications, while others were not committed to being teachers and only use the training colleges as stepping stones to other professions.
She said the system was being streamlined to ensure that committed people enter the teaching field while the necessary structures are put in place to ensure quality education for all sectors.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 19 January 2002 - Mr. Jake Obestebi-Lamtey, Minister of Information and Presidential Affairs, on Friday called on Parliament to advertise itself properly to the public.
"Let your candle shine in all its brightness so that your role in good governance can be appreciated." Mr Obestebi-Lamtey said this in statement read for him by Nana Akufo Addo, Attorney-General, at a public forum organised by Parliament as part of its week-long celebration to usher in the second session of the third term of the Fourth Republican legislature.
He said the often unfavourable perception held by the public on the duties and privileges of members emanate from the lack of knowledge of parliamentary practise.
The Minister commended the house for keeping its culture of consensus building. "We wish to encourage this friendly disposition. The image of Parliament should continue to be one of mature interaction and seriousness of purpose."
He said the government is committed to providing the support needed for the house to discharge its duties. "These responsibilities should not be seen only in terms of national service but should be properly acknowledged and rewarded."
The Minister paid tribute to Mr Justice Francis Annan, Former Speaker, who initiated the forum. "This rich interaction between the public and parliament exposes the ordinary person's concerns and feelings about the role of Parliament in good governance."
GRi../
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Accra (Greater Accra) 19 January 2002 - The public on Friday shared with Parliament its pleasure and pain of debate, heckling, glamour and glory in the plush Chinese-built National Theatre in Accra.
Hundreds of Ghanaians from all corners of the land had braved the harsh weather imposed on the capital by the late Harmattan to listen, look and quiz the law makers whose names and deeds pin the news that make the rounds lately.
Parliament's eighth public forum was organised as part of its activities to usher in the second session of the third term of the Parliament of the Fourth Republic.
School children, easily recognised by a harmonic spread of cream and brown skirts and the general public bore little grudge against the legislators, after waiting over an hour before the start of the forum.
The drums and their players also kept their pitch intact, sometimes ascending rather than ebbing, even though they had to extend their service. The few that strolled outside the Theatre's marble walls were uniformed official who kept busy controlling the streaming cars and human traffic.
Mr. Peter Ala Adjetey, Speaker, as confident as he has always been, started his moderation late but compensated it with intelligence and a heavy hand. He sat literary shielded by all the heavy weights of the house on the well-lit velvet walled stage of the theatre.
"I call those that I want to call to asked questions, you address me when you are asking a question," he said, any time a questioner forgot parliamentary manners. Questioners who ranged from age ten to eighty queued quietly behind microphones demanding from the lawmakers, answers to a wide rang of issues.
A young man who aspires to be a legislator in 2012 asked that Members of Parliament erected notice boards in their constituencies to enhance their outreach programmes.
An enthusiastic student drew a paradox never thought of during the week-long celebration. "When I look at the theme of the celebration, which reads ' democratic governance under the 1992 Constitution-Challenges and prospects", I become sad because a copy of the constitution is very expensive. How could Parliament help bring down the price of a copy of the constitution which it is basing its theme on."
The jerk of necks and raising of eye brows seemed to remind the law makers that they have no offices, no staff and have even attracted the wrath of the public for asking for a car loan. Availability of a copy of the constitution, the most quoted material in the chamber, has suddenly become an after thought.
The harsh weather had also been forgotten in the heat of the debate, but it waited with its venom ready to devour those who forget about little things that make life whole.
GRi../
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