Accra (Greater Accra) 24 June '99

Mr Kenneth Dzirasah, First Deputy Speaker, on Wednesday had a hectic time in controlling proceedings in Parliament during a debate on a private member's motion.

Due to several interventions from the Majority side, Mr Dzirasah was compelled to rule that Mr Joseph Henry Mensah, the Minority Leader, who has had the floor for 75 minutes, either winds up in two minutes, which was left for the House to adjourn, or continues with his contribution on Thursday.

Mr Mensah and most members on the Minority side did not take kindly to the First Deputy Speaker's ruling.

The Minority Leader stated categorically that looking at the volume of his contribution, which he said, was met with one interruption after the other from the Majority, the chair is not being fair to him if he is asked to wind up in only two minutes.

He, therefore, acceptance the ruling to continue with his contribution when the House resumes sitting.

Nana Akufo Addo, NPP-Abuakwa, and the Minority Spokesman on Constitutional and Legal Matters moved the motion last Friday, which was amended by Mr Edward Doe Adjaho, the Majority Chief Whip.

Nana Akufo Addo's motion enjoins the National Media Commission and the governing bodies and management of the state-owned media to "take immediate steps to comply and or ensure compliance with the unanimous decision and judgment of the Supreme Court. In the case of NPP vrs GBC (Writ No CSI/93) delivered on 30th November, 1993 by granting equal time, space and access to the activities of all registered Political Parties."

In the Amendment Motion, the Majority Chief Whip is praying the Commission to investigate whether the state-owned media are complying with Articlce 55(11) of the Constitution. It states that "the State shall provide fair opportunity to all political parties to present their programmes to the public by ensuring equal access to the state-owned media" and report to the House indicating among other things, the constraints if any, that they face in complying with the said Article.

Nana Akomea, NPP-Okaikwei South, seconded Nana Akufo Addo's motion, whilst that of Mr Adjaho was seconded by Mr Ebenezer Kobina Fosu, NDC-Asikuma/Odoben/Brakwa.

Mr Mensah in his contribution wondered why six years after the Supreme Court's ruling on the matter, the order has not been complied with.

In his view, the Minority Leader said it is the duty of the Executive to enforce orders of the courts whether they are favourable or not favourable to them.

He took the Attorney-General (A-G) on, and pointed out that as the prosecutor of all cases, especially of the one in question, the said A-G has failed in its constitutional obligation to ensure the state-owned media's strict compliance with the Supreme Court's ruling.

This, Mr Mensah explained, is the more reason why the other political parties other than the ruling party, are finding it difficult to gain equal access to the state-owned media.

Mr John Dramani Mahama, Minister of Communications and MP for Bole in his argument, was of the conviction that insofar as political parties differ in terms of sizes and resources, big parties would naturally attract more attention and followers.

Mr Mahama said the media would encounter difficulties if they decided to feature activities of political parties equally.

He disagreed with Nana Akufo Addo's assessment of the Daily Graphic on the matter based on the previous week's editions of the paper before moving his motion.

The Communications Minister stated that the conclusions drawn by Nana Akufo Addo indicating the NDC's domination of the political page of the paper has no scientific base.

Mr Mahama pointed out that the argument of responsible, fair and balanced reporting, by the media apply to both the state-owned and the private Media.

He, therefore, found the excesses in the private media rather unfortunate.

On the role of the Information Services Department (ISD) in ensuring equity and fairness to the activities of all political parties, the Communications Minister pointed out that ISD falls under the ambit of the Civil Service with supervision from the Communications Ministry.

He said since the Department propagates government programmes to the public and sends feedback, it is procedurally wrong to expect the Media Commission to ensure that ISD gives equal access of space and time to all political parties.

Winding up, Mr Mahama charged the Media Commission to carry out fair investigations into the matter, come back to inform the House in order for members to take a firm decision.