H. Kwesi Prempeh on why NDC MPs-elect should have announced preference for Bagbin as Speaker and not Mahama

Choosing the Speaker of Parliament, head of the second branch of the State, is a constitutional duty and prerogative of the Members of an incoming Parliament voting individually by sacret ballot.

It is to be expected that the President, being head of Government, would have a strong interest and influence in the choice of Speaker, as the occupant of the Speaker's chair must work closely with the President and his Ministers to ensure the smooth running of government.

 In particular, where, as in the incoming Parliament, the party of the President also controls an overwhelming majority of the seats in Parliament, the President's preference for Speaker should be expected to carry great weight in the MPs' decision.

So, there is nothing wrong for the President to publicly express and indicate his preference for Speaker and to urge or admonish his party MPs to vote to elect his preferred choice for Speaker.

However, we must not entrench the impression or practice in the 4th Republic where the Speaker is seen as a nominee of the President, as this press release implies.

This is one of the legacies and features of our Imperial Presidency that further subordinates the Legislature to the Executive. We should move away from that. 

It will have been more proper if the attached letter read as follows:  "The Members of Parliament-elect of the National Democratic Congress, [having consulted with the National Executive of the Party], have agreed collectively to support the nomination and re-election of the Rt. Hon. Alban Sumana Kingsford Badgin, Speaker of the 8th Parliament, as Speaker of the 9th Parliament."  

The President-elect can then freely announce his endorsement of this choice. But for the President-elect to "mandate"?  What is that!!! 

What is worth doing is worth doing properly.

Having said that, I congratulate the Rt. Hon. Alban Bagbin, Speaker of the 8th Parliament, on securing the support of the Majority Party or caucus in incoming Parliament for his re-election as Speaker of the 9th Parliament of the Republic of Ghana.