‘Until you brief Parliament forget about laying your C.I before the House’ – Bagbin tells EC
Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin has threatened to block the laying of a new Constitutional Instrument (C.I) by the Electoral Commission if the House is not briefed accordingly.
The Electoral Commission’s CI, which is undergoing some amendments, is expected to make the Ghana card the only identification document to enroll unto the voters register.
This new proposal has been a thorny issue between the EC and the opposition NDC together with other political parties.
They have argued that this proposal by the EC seeks to disenfranchise Ghanaians in the upcoming elections.
Speaking on the matter on the Floor of the House, on Friday, Alban Bagbin noted that the independence of the EC does not make it immune to oversight by Parliament.
He indicated that he will only allow the EC to lay the C.I before Parliament if members of the House are fully briefed.
“I am yet to receive them to be briefed. Until that is done, they should forget about laying any such instrument in the House. I think there is a misinterpretation and misunderstanding of the concept of independence of various state institutions that are stated by the Constitution to be independent,” he stated.
Mr. Alban Bagbin explained that the EC’s independence relates to the performance of its functions. However, its independence ceases if any issue or matter is brought before Parliament.
“They cannot say they are not subject to the control of anybody, including the institution of Parliament. The EC, the Bank of Ghana and the Judiciary should take note,” he added.
source: myjoyonline.com
