Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin says the Majority Leader’s claims that he prioritises international travels over parliamentary business are “unfounded and made in bad faith.”
In a statement issued on Wednesday, Mr Bagbin clarified that the decision to adjourn the House Sine die on 30th July 2024 was not made arbitrarily.
He explained that the adjournment date was determined by the Parliamentary Calendar of the Fourth Session of the Eighth Parliament, which stipulates that Parliament should adjourn at the end of July.
He further stated that this guideline was discussed and agreed upon at several pre-sitting meetings, weeks before the 30th of July 2024.
In order to ensure that all prioritised businesses were completed before the adjournment, Mr Bagbin said that the House prioritised certain agenda items and he committed to working late hours until midnight.
“Firstly, I have been accused of prioritising international travel over parliamentary business and of unilaterally deciding to adjourn the House on 30th July 2024. These accusations are unfounded and are made in bad faith.”
“The decision to adjourn the House Sine die on 30th July 2024 was not made in isolation. This date was informed by the Parliamentary Calendar of the Fourth Session of the Eighth Parliament which calls on Parliament to adjourn at the end of the month of July.
“This guide was discussed on several occasions at pre-sitting meetings of the Speaker, and Leaders and agreed to, weeks before the 30th of July 2024. As the official reports, voice, and video recordings of proceedings of the House will clearly demonstrate, I consistently communicated to the House the agreed adjournment date throughout the meeting. The adjournment was neither sudden nor unilateral in this regard as evidenced by the contents of the official reports of 6th, 11th, 25th, and 26th July 2024.”
“It is for this purpose that the House prioritised some agenda items and I committed to sit late hours till midnight to ensure that all the prioritised businesses are completed before the House adjourned sine die on the agreed 30th July 2024.
“This was particularly so, because in the last week to the adjournment, both Deputy Speakers had to be unavoidably absent from the jurisdiction and I had to sit throughout the sittings, as captured by the official reports,” he stated.
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