The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association International has elected Rt. Hon Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin as its new President (CPA).
He was unanimously elected President of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA), an organization of over 180 member Parliaments of the COMMONWEALTH of nations, at the recently concluded 65th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference (CPC) hosted by Canada in Halifax.
Speaker Bagbin was the CPA’s Vice-President until his election as President.
Ghana, as President of the CPA, has been given the opportunity to host the 66th Conference of the CPA in Accra from September 30th to October 7th, 2023.
The election of Rt. Hon. Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin as President of the CPA places him at the helm of the organization, and he will preside over the next CPC in Ghana while also serving as the Chair of the Association’s Elections Committee.
He also serves on the Association’s Executive Committee, among other constitutionally mandated roles and responsibilities.
Ghana had a double header at this conference. Hon. Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, the Majority Leader, was also elected Vice Chairman of the Association.
As a result of this election, he now holds the second most important position on the Association’s Executive Committee and Coordinating Committee.
As a result, he will serve as the CPA’s Deputy Spokesperson, assisting the Association’s Chairman, Hon. Ian Liddell-Grainger, MP, Member of the House of Commons, UK, in providing leadership for the Association’s Executive Committee.
The annual conference focused on amending the Association’s Constitution to make Commonwealth Parliaments more relevant, accessible, technologically savvy, gender sensitive, balanced, and inclusive of the youth and the marginalized, particularly persons with disabilities.
A statement issued by the Parliament of Ghana announcing the election said “Rt. Hon. Alban S. K. Bagbin, undoubtedly, the most experienced MP of the Parliament of Ghana with the support of one of the second most experienced legislator of the Parliament, Hon. Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, comes in handy at a time the Association has been making epileptic progress at transforming itself from a Charity Organization under UK Law into an international, inter-parliamentary organization. Tried and tested leadership is definitely needed to consummate this aspiration and the hopes of the over 180 branches from both Anglophone and Francophone countries are very high and expectant from the leadership of Speaker Bagbin and Ian Liddell-Grainger.
With the indomitable spirit and support of Ghana and all Ghanaians, these Parliamentary icons will not only lift high the flag of the country, but lead in marketing the culture, traditions, governance and the rich wealth and hospitality of our people, at the 66th Conference of the CPC next year. Success can only be guaranteed, in this regard, when Ghanaians work together. We therefore call on all compatriots to rise up to the occasion and lend a helping hand to celebrate this historic achievement of the Country.”
The Parliament of Ghana was ably represented at the 65th CPC in Halifax, Canada by a crack team led by the Speaker, and included the Majority Leader, Hon Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, the Minority Leader, Hon Haruna Iddrisu, Hon Ahmed Ibrahim, Deputy Minority Whip, Hon Thomas Mbomba, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Hon Lydia Seyram Alhassan, Deputy Majority Whip, Hon Comfort Cudjoe-Ghansah Doyoe, Second Deputy Minority Whip, and Hon Nana Ama Dokua Asiamah-Adjei, MP of Akwapim North. The Clerk To Parliament, Mr. Cyril Kwabena Nsiah and some members of staff were available to offer secretarial services to the delegation
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
