Alban S. K. Bagbin
Speaker of Parliament, Alban S. K. Bagbin, has called for the military not to be involved in polling station security during the December elections.
According to him, officers from the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) should be called in only when necessary, adding that the Ghana Police Service should be in control of security.
“We don’t want to see the military during the election. When there is a need to call them, they will be called, but they should not be at polling or voting centers,” the Speaker stated when the House reconvened after a long recess.
He was expressing concerns about the recent violence that marked the EC’s voter transfer exercise.
Mr. Bagbin indicated that Parliament would meet with the Chairpersons of the Electoral Commission, Media Commission, Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice, and National Commission on Civic Education to discuss how the House could collaborate and work with them to create the right environment for free, fair, peaceful, and credible elections.
“This, I believe, will inspire confidence in the process and faith in our democratic institutions. We will definitely not be doing this alone,” he stated.
The Speaker said they would include the President, the Council of State, the National Security Council, flag bearers and national executives of various political parties, the security services, particularly the police.
“Honorable members, the clergy and notable civil society leaders will be actively involved,” he said and pointed out that “the signs and signals of happenings in the country are not that of assurance and hope.”
“I am told that people were carrying knives, guns, just to go and write names. What about when we are going to vote? And at the end of it all the results are announced and somebody else has carried the day and not the other. I shudder to picture what will happen,” he lamented.
The Majority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin said there is a number of priority business to be transacted by the House including Bills to be laid, loan agreements, mining leases and commercial agreements, Instruments, and request for waiver of tax, import duties.
He mentioned some of the Bills as the Energy Commission (Amendment) Bill, Community Service Sentencing Bill, Ghana National Service Authority Bill, Ghana Book Development Agency Bill, University for Engineering and Applied Sciences (Amendment) Bill, and University for Health, Agriculture and Life Sciences (Kintampo) Bill.
The rest are the University of Mampong Bill, University of Sports and Development Bill, Colleges of Applied Arts, Science and Technology Bill, Business Regulatory Reform Commission Bill, Conduct of Public Officers Bill, Economic and Organised Crime Office (Amendment) Bill, and Legal Profession Bill.
Others are the Presidential Transition (Amendment) Bill, Environmental Protection Agency Bill, Fisheries and Aquaculture Development Bill, Ghana Housing Authority Bill, Rent Bill, 2023, Minerals and Mining (Amendment) (No.2) Bill, Broadcasting Bill, Internal Audit Agency Bill, Ghana Deposit Protection (Amendment) Bill among others.
By Ernest Kofi Adu, Parliament House