Akosombo (E/R), Nov. 7, GNA - Mr Felix Kwasi Owusu-Adjapong, the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, has said the government would not, under any circumstance, attempt to undermine the independence of the legislature.

He said it had been universally acknowledged that there could not be strict separation of powers in the true sense of the word between the executive and the legislative arms of Government.

Mr Owusu-Adjapong was speaking at a one-day workshop organized by his Ministry with the support of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) at Akosombo on Monday.

The workshop was to validate proposals for the formulation of a policy framework for the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs. Sixteen participants attended it from the academia, UNDP, parliamentarians, Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) and representatives of some civil society think tanks.

He said the core business of his ministry was to serve as a link between the executive and the legislature, but that relationship had been criticized as a means by the executive to bully the legislature into submission.

Mr Owusu-Adjapong said even in the country report of the African Peer Review Mechanism, the functions of his ministry came under attack and the report recommended a review of the functions of the ministry. He said the validation of the policy document would give his ministry a focus which would help his ministry to reposition itself to contribute more effectively and efficiently in deepening democracy and good governance.

The UNDP Resident Representative, Mr Daouda Toure, said the MPA could play a critical role towards supporting the country's aspiration of becoming a middle-income country as well as achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) by 2015 through the promotion of good governance where each arm of government plays its role beyond partisan politics. He said the ministry could help provide a neutral platform for policy analysis, creative debate and research support for the country to achieve its national and international commitments.

Mr Toure said the UNDP would like to see a policy framework that is in synergy with the nation's objective of sustainable human development, poverty reduction, good governance and the realization of the MDGs by 2015.