Accra, April 20, GNA - The Speaker, Justice Joyce Bamford-Addo, on Monday said the Speaker wielded a lot of power under the Standing Orders of Parliament, but she would endeavour to discharge her duty and make rulings with a human touch.

She said both sides of the House voted for her by consensus and she had since received a lot of support and cooperation from the majority and minority in Parliament. She was speaking to a delegation of queen mothers from North and South Ketu Districts in the Volta Region who paid a courtesy call on her at Parliament House.

Justice Bamford-Addo said she felt proud for occupying the position as Speaker on behalf of women and would work hard to succeed during her term as Speaker of the Fifth Parliament. She urged the queen mothers to continue with their work in the communities and stressed their importance in society.

The delegation, led by Mama Ayaba II said they had formed an association to champion the rights of women and help address social issues such as HIV and AIDS. She said they had come to congratulate the Speaker for assuming the high position. Earlier, a delegation of legislators from the Czech republic led by Mr Jan Hamacek, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Parliament, called on the Second Deputy Speaker, Prof. Mike Oquaye. Mr Hamacek praised Ghana for her high level of democracy, as witnessed in the just-ended general elections.

He said the Czech Republic was ready to cooperate with Ghana in the areas of good governance and trade, among others, and extended an invitation to members of the Ghana parliament to his country. Prof. Oquaye touched on some areas of cooperation between the two countries and said many Ghanaians had benefited from studies in the Czech Republic through scholarships. He said Parliament was working very hard to deepen democracy adding that Parliament was a lobby house and had a lot of influence in governance.

Among those present at the meeting was the Czech ambassador to Ghana, Mr Miroslav Krenek.