Speaker Meets Council Of State Ahead Of Re-Submission Of E-Levy To Parliament

The Speaker of the Parliament, Mr Alban Bagbin has led mediation talks between the leadership of the Majority and Minority Caucuses in the Parliament to resolve the prevailing differences. The meeting which also involved leading members of the Council of State was aimed to prevent any further violence in the Chamber as the E-

levy Bill is also set to be re-submitted to the House for debate and approval. The Chairman of the Council of State, Nana Otuo Serebour called on the Speaker to appreciate the challenges posed by the hung nature of current Parliament and work to resolve the acrimonious relationship between the two divides of the House. Mr.

Speaker, we want to support you to be the best Speaker that Ghana has ever had. We know that these issues that have happened are only ephemeral, and one day, you will look back at them with nostalgic feelings, he noted. For his part, Mr. Bagbin expressed confidence that the mediation talks would achieve the intended

purpose and stated that his office is always open to the Council for advice. He added that he is grateful for the step taken by the members of the Council of State. He added that he has planned to organise a workshop for the Parliamentary leadership and some elders to also moderate and facilitate discussions this weekend. None

of us is happy with the way things are also going. We have never had such a hung Parliament before, and you know governance is usually run by the majority, so when you feel you have a majority, decision taking becomes a serious challenge, he stated. The Minority and Majority Causes are divided over the passage of the E-levy Bill.

This, in some instances, generated chaos between MPs from both Caucuses in the chamber. Earlier attempts to build consensus on the passage of the Bill have proved futile.