Parliament extends sittings to Monday and Saturday to clear backlog
Parliament will begin extended sittings on Monday, 7 July, in a bid to push through a backlog of legislative business before the House adjourns on Saturday, 12 July.
The announcement was made by Majority Leader, Mahama Ayariga, who presented the Business Statement for the seventh week of the current meeting.
The unusual step includes sittings on Monday and Saturday, days typically outside the parliamentary schedule, underlining the urgency with which lawmakers are operating as the legislative clock winds down.
Among the priorities for the week are the passage of several Legislative Instruments (LIs) that must mature before the end of the session, ministerial accountability sessions, and the possible introduction of new bills.
Ayariga, who also chairs the Business Committee, said 55 ministers of state, including the Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Dr Johnson Pandit Asiama, are scheduled to appear before the House to respond to parliamentary questions.
The packed schedule also allows for motions to be debated, committee reports to be considered, and resolutions passed. Papers may also be laid before the House, with the potential for legislation emerging before adjournment.
“Motions may be debated and their consequential resolutions, if any, taken during the week,” Mr Ayariga said. “In accordance with Standing Order 216(2) and subject to Standing Order 67, the Committee submits to the House the order in which business shall be taken.”
The Minority Leader, Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin, used the opportunity to call for the inclusion of a special briefing from the Electoral Commission.
Specifically, he requested that the Chairperson of the Commission, Mrs Jean Mensa, appear before Parliament to address the upcoming rerun of parliamentary elections in 19 polling stations within the Ablekuma North Constituency.
His request reflects growing public concern over transparency and efficiency in the electoral process. The call for Mrs Mensa’s appearance comes amid heightened scrutiny of the Electoral Commission’s handling of polling reruns and voter engagement.
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