The Member of Parliament for Tamale South, Haruna Iddrisu, has taken a swipe at the Presidency following a letter it sent to Parliament asking the Speaker to refrain from sending the Bill on Human Sexual Rights and Family Values to President Akufo-Addo for assent.
The former Minority Leader described the letter as a significant threat to Ghana’s democracy.
The Presidency has asked Parliament not to send the bill to the President for his assent until the final determination of the cases pending before the Supreme Court.
Secretary to the President, Nana Bediatuo Asante, who issued and signed the letter said this directive was based on the acknowledgement of two pending applications for an order of interlocutory injunction before the Supreme Court.
Speaking to journalists, Haruna Iddrisu opined that the letter to parliament is a reflection of the President’s quest to dominate other organs of government.
“I am unable to sleep because this is a monumental threat to Ghana’s democracy and a monumental threat to Parliament as an institution. By Article 93, we are clothed with legislative authority and legislative mandate. This letter only reflects President Akufo-Addo’s quest for predominance over other organs of state and that is unacceptable and that must be fought by all persons who love democracy and who cherish the principles and values of the 1992 Constitution.
“The framers of our Constitution endowed Ghana with a separation of powers, the executive, the legislature, the judiciary, and a division of powers. It endowed us that Parliament shall be responsible for making laws and what powers does the president’s secretary have in writing to the Clerk of Parliament and not the president himself in writing directly to the Speaker of Parliament as is required by our standing order so that officially this can be read as communication from the president? So ideally, this paper means nothing and must be ignored by the clerk.”
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
