The Speaker of Parliament, Alban S.K. Bagbin has refuted claims that he said he is more powerful than the President.
Speaking during a media tour in Accra on Thursday, June 29, he stated that his statements have been misinterpreted by some sections of the public.
“The President is not higher than me, we are equal partners, it is only protocol that you have to mention God the Father before you go to God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.
“That doesn’t mean that God the Father is higher than God the Holy Spirit and so our system or concept is that, and I have said it a number of times and people say that I am more powerful than the president, no, I have never said that, the concept is that it is easier to remove a president by the impeachment of two-thirds of the Members of Parliament than to remove a speaker which is three-quarters, which is more difficult, that is what is in our constitution,” the Speaker explained.
Mr Bagbin said “Sometimes the temperature in Parliament is rising and you see that I bring a joke to defuse it then they lough for us to go and start again. There are some of the scales that you have to use particularly for a hung parliament like this where nobody is for you.”
He added that his party, the National Democratic Congress(NDC) is not happy with him for not leaning in their favour in parliament.
“The NDC my party, expect me to lean in favour of them but I don’t do so, so they are angry with me. The NPP see me as an opponent and they think that I am always opposing them.
“Sometimes, I give things in their favour and they are happy, the next day I give against them they tell me that they are in government but I tell them to go and read the definition of government in the Constitution.”