The Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin has announced that the seventh meeting of the Fourth Session of the Eighth Parliament will commence on Monday, December 16, 2024.
In a statement released on December 2, the Speaker noted that the session is set to begin at 10:00 a.m., with the specific venue to be confirmed and announced at a later date.
This announcement aligns with Order 58 of the Standing Orders of the Parliament of Ghana, which mandates that the Speaker inform members of upcoming sessions.
This session follows Speaker Bagbin’s decision to reject a request for an emergency sitting on November 28 and 29, 2024. The request, submitted by Hon. Alexander Afenyo-Markin, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) leader in Parliament, sought to address 22 urgent matters, including tax exemptions for the One District, One Factory Programme, approval of the Ghana Financial Stability Fund, and key mining and legislative issues.
The Speaker cited the upcoming December 7 general elections as the reason for his decision. He stressed that calling Parliament back into session during the election campaign period could interfere with essential political activities, such as manifesto presentations and accountability efforts by candidates.
Additionally, Speaker Bagbin expressed concerns regarding the practicality of tackling such an extensive agenda within just two days, suggesting that these issues should be prioritized during the session after the elections.
Members of Parliament and relevant stakeholders are expected to convene for the December session to address outstanding legislative matters as part of the Fourth Republic’s parliamentary calendar.
