Dr. Dickson Adomako Kissi, Member of Parliament for Anyaa Sowutuom, has blamed the ongoing parliamentary deadlock on recent decisions made by Speaker Alban Bagbin, particularly his ruling that declared four parliamentary seats vacant,a decision later overturned by the Supreme Court.
This declaration of vacant seats sparked heightened tensions, especially with the National Democratic Congress (NDC) caucus claiming a majority in the House, a stance vigorously contested by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) caucus.
On November 7, 2024, Speaker Bagbin adjourned Parliament indefinitely due to the lack of a prepared agenda after the Business Committee failed to meet and set topics for discussion.
The session had been called at the NPP caucus’s request to address urgent legislative issues. However, the absence of Majority MPs in the Chamber led to the inability to form an agenda, disappointing Speaker Bagbin.
In an interview on The Big Issue on Channel One TV, Dr. Kissi expressed concerns about the perceived partisanship in Speaker Bagbin’s actions.
While he reiterated his respect for the Speaker, Dr. Kissi suggested that Bagbin’s long-standing ties with the NDC were influencing his decisions, contributing to a more polarized atmosphere in Parliament.
“I respect the Speaker a lot, but I think some of his decisions are being colored by his party affiliation, and I won’t fault him for that. He’s been with the party for decades, even before I was born. We all, at some point, when pushed to the wall, will bring our ‘partyness’ into play,” Dr. Kissi remarked.
He went on to express disappointment, noting that Speaker Bagbin had missed an opportunity to address perceived injustices in Parliament, despite previously criticizing past speakers for their errors.
Dr. Kissi lamented, “I was hoping that he would right the wrong that Prof. Mike Oquaye did. Unfortunately, the current Speaker missed that opportunity, despite his many statements in the past where he corrected other speakers for what he believed were wrong decisions.”
