Speaker Bagbin’s Legal Views Causes Parliament Debate—Prof. Smart Sarpong
Professor Smart Sarpong has shared his views on the current state of Parliament, claiming that “Speaker Bagbin’s legal views caused the recent parliament argument between the NPP and the NDC parties.”
According to Professor Sarpong, the confusion in Parliament originates from the Speaker’s legal background.
“I admit that the Speaker is a lawyer of good standing; no doubt about it. We are experiencing such confusion in Parliament because of this. If the Speaker was anyone else, he would have quickly respected the decision of the Supreme Court,” he added.
Professor Sarpong suggested that Speaker Bagbin’s legal background might be the reason why he is claiming equality with the Supreme Court.
“Maybe because he thinks the basic requirement for the bench is through the bar,” but I wonder how many judgments Bagbin has written and the experience he has because there are levels,” he remarked.
He also noted that many of those speaking from the NDC side are lawyers, including Hon. Nelson Rockson Dafiamaopkor.
“The framers of the Constitution did not intend for Parliament to be a house for only lawyers. Parliament is made up of all kinds of professionals: teachers, barbers, DJs, and even at one point, we had a hairdresser as an MP,” he explained.
Addressing another point, Professor Sarpong questioned the NDC members’ actions regarding their seating arrangements in Parliament.
“Some NDC members say that where you sit does not matter. If that is the case, why did they vacate their seats and move to the majority side? Why did they not sit at where they have been sitting for the past three years?” he questioned.
Finally, he cautioned some members, especially those who won their seats with narrow vote margins. “If those from their party’s strongholds are doing this, I don’t have a problem.
But some parliamentarians are in Parliament with only a sixteen-vote difference. Not all members of this Parliament will return in the next Parliament, so they should think about themselves,” he stressed.
Story by: Precious
