Mahama Ayariga, a member of the constitutional, legal and parliamentary affairs committee of Parliament, has urged the Majority in the House to abide by the standing orders to prevent any scuffles in the chamber.
His comments come after the Majority Chief Whip, Frank Annoh-Dompreh called for MPs who engage in fisticuffs in the House to be prosecuted.
According to him, MPs who are caught engaging in violence must be made to face the full rigours of the law and be treated as criminals.
Speaking to Beatrice Adu on The Big Bulletin on Monday (31 January), Ayariga said, “we should not have situations where in Parliament we have to defend with fisticuffs. That’s not acceptable, that’s not a good impression to create, that’s not a good example to create of what should be the conduct of leaders in our country.”
“…I can understand him (Annoh-Dompreh) if he made those calls and I believe that we all are concerned about this situation and I hope that we don’t find ourselves in that situation again.
“…At the same time, we also must ensure that the rules are interpreted properly that those who are in authority and presiding conduct themselves according to the rules. In all the instances when the House has been turned into chaos, it’s because members who are on the side of the minority believe that there’s been an attempt to violate the rules in a way that they might never have an opportunity to correct if they allow the rules to be violated,” he stated.
MPs shouted at each other and engaged in an open brawl in Parliament on Monday evening (20 December) as the First Deputy Speaker, Joseph Osei-Owusu, vacated his seat to enable him also to cast a vote to pass the controversial E-Levy under a certificate of urgency.
The Minority contended that, under the standing orders of Parliament, Osei-Owusu, who was presiding that day, could not vote. However, the sit-in Speaker insisted that he had the right to vote and would do so.
The free-for-all ensued on the Speaker’s platform as Minority MPs attempted to seize his chair as he made his way out of the chamber in order for the Second Deputy Speaker, Andrews Amoako Asiamah, to take over.
Nicholas Brown
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