Speaker acts as President

The Speaker of Parliament will act as President in the absence of the President,  who travels to Abuja, Nigeria for consultation with President Goodluck Jonathan over some pertinent issues affecting the sub-region.

This is the second time in the week that he has acted in that capacity as President John Mahama travelled to Ouagadougou, the Burkinabe capital, at the head of an ECOWAS delegation to discuss the way forward for that country’s political crisis. The Vice-President is also out of the country on a visit to India.

Even though the communication on the visit did not specify issues to be discussed, it is believed that the political situation in Burkina Faso will be the main focus of the discussions between President Mahama and the President of Nigeria.

Last Wednesday, the Speaker, Mr Edward Doe Adjaho, who stepped in for the President, declined to take the Presidential Oath because he had taken one when he acted on October 19, 2013.

Earlier, members of the House had expressed concern over events in Burkina Faso.

Lessons from Burkina Faso

In a statement on the Burkinabe situation, the Chairman of the Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Member of Parliament (MP) for Biakoye, Mr Emmanuel K. Bandua, reminded members of lessons that could be drawn from the crisis.

Mr Bandua said freedom and democracy could be achieved through vigilance, and force, when necessary. 

He said the crisis in Burkina Faso should remind politicians who might want to hold on to power even when they had outlived their stay in office that they would no longer have their way.

He said it was also a signal to various parliaments in the sub-region which by their acts of commission and ommission had abused the trust reposed in them by the electorate.

Supporting the statement,  Mr Isaac Osei, the Ranking Member for the committee and member for Subin, also reminded members that constitutional provisions might be changed but should not be designed and tailored for the benefit of one person and his cohorts.

Independence of Parliament

Mr Osei called on members to assert the independence of Parliament and not allow it to be used as a tool by the Executive, adding that leaders who perverted the constitutional arrangement by stealing the mandate of the people and through other fraudulent acts must know that the anger of the people could not be contained indefinitely.

Contributing to the statement, Ms Hannah Serwaa Tetteh, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, said the country’s parliament should have been responsive to their constituents who opposed the moves to amend the constitution to extend President Blaise Compaore’s bid for another term.

She said ECOWAS and the international community were involved in engaging all stakeholders in a dialogue for consensus for a smooth transition and restoration of democratic governance. 

Ms Tetteh said it was the hope of all that all segments of the Burkinabe society would be involved  so that no one would be left out for peace to prevail.