Governance expert predicts challenges in consensus building in next parliament

Governance expert Dr. Frederick Oduro has raised concerns about the difficulty of achieving consensus and collaboration in the upcoming Parliament.

Speaking during an interview on ABC in the Morning, Dr. Oduro emphasized that the 8th Parliament has significantly undermined the tradition of negotiation and consensus-building, which has historically facilitated cooperation in legislative processes since 1993.

He stated that the current Parliament has set a troubling precedent, which could result in minimal collaboration in the next session, making governance more challenging.

Dr. Oduro’s comments came on the heels of remarks from the Minority, who indicated that they would not return to Parliament if a recall motion was initiated. The governance expert expressed his belief that the erosion of consensus in the legislature could have long-term repercussions for the country’s governance.

“The problem we are going to have, even not with this parliament alone, is that there will be little collaboration going forward,” he said, urging for a significant number of parliamentary seats—between 150 and 160—to ensure smoother governance.

“So my prayer is that, which ever party wins, should have not less than 150 to about 160 seats in parliament, otherwise governance will suffer in this country,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Majority in Parliament has called for unity to resolve the ongoing impasse surrounding vacant seats, following a Supreme Court ruling that reversed the Speaker’s declaration of four vacant seats.

The Majority Chief Whip, Frank Annor Dompreh, addressed the media after the ruling, urging the NDC MPs to accept the decision and cooperate in resolving the issue.

With only 23 days to the election, Dompreh appealed to the Minority for cooperation, thanking the Majority leadership for their role in supporting the legal challenge that led to the favorable ruling.