Former Majority Leader Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu has criticized Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin for suspending four MPs following chaotic scenes during the vetting session on January 30, 2025.
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu questioned the Speaker’s authority to impose such sanctions, arguing that neither the Standing Orders nor the Constitution grants him the power to do so.
In an interview on February 1, 2025, Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu acknowledged that while the Speaker was correct in invoking Order 342 of the new Standing Orders, there was no legal basis for Bagbin’s actions.
“The Speaker is right to have availed himself of the imperative of Order 342,” he said, but added, “The question to ask is from where the Speaker is deriving his authority. Neither the Standing Orders nor the Constitution grants the Speaker any of such authority.”
The former Majority Leader went further to criticize Bagbin’s decision, suggesting that the Speaker had overstepped his legal boundaries.
“The Speaker has not only jumped the gun but has gone outside the prescription of the law to impose his sanction. His own attitude and conduct are questionable,” Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu remarked in an interview with Joy News.
This ongoing dispute highlights the tension between Parliament’s leadership and members, raising questions about the Speaker’s role in maintaining order and discipline.
The decision to suspend MPs following the January 30 clash has sparked widespread debate about the limits of the Speaker’s power.