The announcement in Parliament on Friday of an extension of sitting for a week must have sent discomfort down some members who are gunning for re-election in December.

The Member of Parliament (MP) for Ashaiman, Alfred Agbeshie may have suffered the punch the most as he walked out of the chamber in protest of the delay of the recess date.

Parliament was originally billed to go on recess on Friday 7 November but members would have to sit for seven more days to close the dockets on what officials describe as “pressing issues.”

Mr Agbeshie who was one of the less-than-20-member House walked out of the chamber after the MPs were told their campaigns for election may have to delay until the 14th of November.

“The ‘adhocness’ of the matter is what concerns me and the feeling of our people out there,” the MP lamented.

He explained that although he was ready for business, he had fears that the delay could affect ‘business’ in the various constituencies prior to the elections.

In an interview with Joy News, however, Deputy Majority Leader, Osei Kyei Mensah-Bonsu, who oversees business in the House, explained that Parliament needed more time to pass crucial legislations.

He mentioned the Financial Services Bill, the Alternative Dispute Resolution Bill, Integrated Aluminum Industry Bill and several others.

Mr Mensah-Bonsu indicated that Parliament after the resumption of the last session had had 14th of November as the date for recess.

He said although there had been considerations of an earlier closure of Parliament, several other developments including the funerals of the late Speaker of Parliament, Peter Ala Adjetey, made a case for an extension.

Touching on the low attendance of members in Parliament in recent times, Mr Mensah-Bonsu said work in the constituencies was enormous and that members could not always be present to transact business.

“You can’t force all 230 members to be in attendance in any particular time, it’s not possible,” he said.



Story by Fiifi Koomson