Governance and anti-corruption advocate Edem Senanu has criticised the leadership of Parliament over the recent unruly scenes during the vetting of nominees for the Supreme Court, arguing that the incident exposed a failure to build consensus.
Speaking on TV3’s Key Points, Mr Senanu said there was a need for more mature and experienced leadership capable of bringing members of Parliament together on contentious issues.
His comments follow a heated confrontation during the vetting process after the Minority raised concerns over what it described as an ambush following the appearance of the Supreme Court nominees before the relevant parliamentary committee.
The Minority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, questioned the urgency and circumstances surrounding the vetting process, stressing that the Minority was not challenging the competence of the nominees but rather the intentions and processes of the Majority.
However, the First Deputy Speaker, Bernard Ahiafor, who chaired the proceedings, dismissed the Minority’s objections as frivolous and insufficient to warrant a suspension of the vetting process.
The disagreement subsequently escalated into heated exchanges, shouting and confrontations, with members of the Minority also raising concerns about the need for the Parliamentary Service and other public officials to remain politically neutral.
The situation eventually led to a walkout by the Minority.
Reacting to the incident, Mr Senanu described the scenes as unnecessary and distasteful, particularly because the apparent inability of parliamentary leaders to reach a consensus was played out before a national television audience.
He stressed the need for what he described as “older, mature leadership” to help build consensus and manage disagreements within the House.
Mr Senanu contrasted the conduct of the current parliamentary leadership with that of some past and experienced leaders, including JH Mensah, Alban Bagbin, and Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu whom he suggested demonstrated greater capacity for dialogue and consensus-building.
He maintained that disagreements are inevitable in Parliament but argued that political leaders must demonstrate the maturity required to resolve differences without allowing proceedings to descend into chaos.
Source | 3news
