The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, has clarified that determining the seating arrangement for Members of Parliament (MPs) does not fall within his mandate, addressing the current dispute over which party holds the majority in Parliament.
This contention follows Speaker Bagbin’s recent declaration of four parliamentary seats as vacant, leading the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Caucus to claim they now hold the majority position.
The declaration has sparked debate among MPs over who should be officially recognized as the majority or minority, with each party interpreting the implications of the vacant seats differently.
In remarks on November 6, Bagbin explained that while Ghana’s Parliament is influenced by the Westminster system, which traditionally dictates that the majority party occupies certain seating arrangements, it is not a binding rule.
He emphasized that seating arrangements are typically guided by parliamentary conventions and the prevailing balance of power rather than by direct intervention from the Speaker.
Bagbin urged MPs to focus on upholding parliamentary order and functionality, noting that the critical issues should be resolved by dialogue among the leadership rather than seating disputes.
“It is not part of the duties of a speaker to decide where an MP should be in parliament. That provision is not present in the constitution of Ghana. In various legislatures, the concepts of majority and minority are no longer applicable. That is the reason why in my decision, I employed the phrase old-fashioned, following the British model; the ruling party and the opposition.
“…You have the freedom to choose your seat, however, the numbers ascertain the majority and the minority. In our parliament, the norm is for the majority to sit on the right side of the speaker and the minority to sit on the left side.
This practice is based on the Westminster system, which was adopted after independence in 1957 and is followed in the United Kingdom. However, we altered it so much that now the seating layout in the house resembles a horseshoe. Therefore, it is not guaranteed that individuals on the left are all part of a minority group. This is not the current situation, and there are valid explanations,” he declared.
