Former Majority Leader of Parliament, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, has expressed concern over the ministerial vetting process following President Mahama’s first set of nominations, arguing that it did not adhere to the established due process outlined in Parliament’s standing orders.
Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, who previously represented the Suame constituency in the Ashanti Region, explained that according to parliamentary procedure, a Committee on Selection should have been established first. This committee, chaired by the Speaker of Parliament, is responsible for selecting members to form the standing and sitting committees of the House before any other parliamentary business can proceed.
However, he pointed out that instead of following this protocol, an Appointments Committee was hastily formed to vet the ministerial nominees, a move he claims violates Order 205 of the Standing Orders of Parliament. The order mandates that the Committee on Selection be formed within the first 10 sitting days of Parliament, with the Speaker at the helm. The committee would then prepare and present a report outlining the members of the standing and sitting committees.
In an exclusive interview with TV3’s Eric Mawuena Egbeta, Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu criticized both the Speaker’s actions and the formation of the Appointments Committee as “a gross violation of acceptable parliamentary practice.” He stressed that, with committees not yet set up, the Speaker should have initiated the formation of the Committee on Selection before proceeding with any other business.
“The Committees have not been set up, and the Speaker of Parliament is the Chairman of the Committee on Selection, which is supposed to establish these committees. The Speaker knows that this has not been done,” he said. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu further suggested that, had the necessary steps been followed, the Speaker could have arranged for the committee clerks to be appointed and advertising for the committees to take place, allowing for a smooth continuation of the vetting process.
“I felt what ought to have been done immediately, acknowledging that the committees have not been done yet, would have been for the Committee of Selection to have been composed so that if they have to go away for about one week or so, the Committee would have stayed to perform those important assignments,” he added.
Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu’s remarks highlight ongoing concerns about parliamentary processes and governance, underscoring the need for adherence to formal protocols for the functioning of the House.
