The First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Joseph Osei-Owusu, has expressed disappointment with some Members of Parliament, especially younger MPs, who he says are drifting from the core values that have historically guided the House.

In a recent interview on Hot Issues on TV3, he attributed the increasing tension and decorum issues in Parliament to a rise in younger MPs, leading to what he described as a "more dramatic and less respectful atmosphere."

According to him, this shift has caused some MPs to "demonstrate the worst in them" during debates.

Osei-Owusu also emphasised the importance of resolving parliamentary disputes privately among leaders rather than in public view.

"I’m disappointed. These are not the things that should take centre stage when discussing Parliament. Why are we behaving as we are? In the past, in the previous three Parliaments I have been in, such matters were discussed indoors at the leadership level. How is it that it is now playing out in the open? Who is encouraging members to show off their ‘machoism’? What value does that serve? It reflects poorly on Parliament. Controversy has always been part of Parliament,” he noted.

He pointed out that while debate and disagreement are natural in Parliament, these issues should be addressed through consensus-building and private consultations.

"The essence of Parliament is to reflect the various shades of ideas in the country, and disagreement among Members is expected. I don’t intend to make any value judgment on leadership, but we are straying from Parliament’s long-standing values. We are demonstrating the worst of ourselves. In previous Parliaments, there were always significant differences between the Majority and Minority, but it is now, with the nearly equal numbers in Parliament, that the worst behaviour is manifesting," he observed.

Reflecting on his early days in Parliament, he remarked on the shift in maturity and focus among some members.

"I believe there are too many young people in Parliament now. As you grow older, drama becomes less appealing—you seek results. Achieving results means focusing on critical issues. There is too much drama in Parliament over things that could be easily discussed and agreed upon. Now, it seems the voices of elders in Parliament are being drowned. Both sides have changed their leadership, bringing in younger, more energetic individuals. When I joined, leaders were more mature and focused on issues that mattered to Ghanaians rather than divisive matters," he noted.

The Supreme Court, on October 30, 2024, dismissed an application by Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin, which sought to reverse a previous ruling that blocked his declaration of four parliamentary seats as vacant.

Bagbin’s application aimed to nullify the Supreme Court’s decision that temporarily halted his ruling on the four seats.

The Speaker also sought to set aside a writ filed by Member of Parliament for Effutu, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, which requested judicial intervention to prevent the Speaker from issuing further declarations on the disputed seats.

Meanwhile, Speaker Bagbin has summoned Parliament to resume sitting on November 7, 2024.

JKB/OGB

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