By Bubu Klinogo
Cracks have emerged in Parliament among MPs over the fracas between the Police and the MP for Madina, Francis Xavier Sosu. The majority leadership in the House has described the Speaker’s refusal to release the MP to the Police for investigation as troubling. A statement by the majority leadership said the Speaker’s posturing on the matter is a departure from how his predecessors handled such requests in the past.
According to the statement, Mr. Bagbin appeared to be instituting a new set of rules which undermined the Rule of Law without any prior discussions with the Leadership of the House. It added that as a group, the Majority believed firmly that constitutionally guaranteed immunity for MPs must not only be always protected but jealously guarded as well. However, never should Parliament make the mistake of allowing immunity to be construed to mean impunity. It concluded that in the particular case under reference, Parliament had a constitutional, legal and moral duty to cooperate and collaborate with the Police to ensure that the Rule of Law prevailed.
Furthermore, Parliament must not be seen to be creating a false regime of two separate laws in Ghana; one for MPs and another for non-MPs. Instead, Parliament must ensure the equality of all citizens, including MPs, before the law.
Minority’s position.
Meanwhile, the Deputy Minority Chief Whip, Ahmed Ibrahim says he is taken aback by the posture of the Majority . This is because both sides had earlier decided not to comment on the issue until the return of the Speaker and the First Deputy Speaker who were on an international assignment.
However, this new posture of the Majority is a bit surprising. Mr. Ibrahim speaking on the floor of Parliament revealed that it was the Interior Minister’s intervention that prevented the Police from arresting the MP for Madina, Francis Xavier Sosu in church on Sunday.
Deputy Speaker Andrew Asiamah while calling for calm, asked colleague MPs to reach a consensus on how best to manage the matter.
In response, the Majority Leader Alexander Afenyo Markin explained that the Majority side issued the statement before the House reached an agreement not to comment on the matter.