The Minority Leader, Alexander Kwamina Afenyo-Markin, has expressed regret over rejecting a proposal from the Speaker of Parliament during the process of enacting new Standing Orders for the House.
Speaking on the floor of Parliament on March 4, 2025, the Minority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, disclosed that the Speaker had proposed that the Minority Leader be appointed as the Chairman of the Appointments Committee of Parliament during the time when the New Patriotic Party held the Majority.
According to Afenyo-Markin, the proposal was strongly rejected by his caucus, who felt that having the Minority Leader chair the committee would not be in their best interest.
“Mr. Speaker, I have a confession to make and I'm not worried about how the media will take it. We make mistakes and when we realise that this was a mistake, we admit. I recall when we were enacting these new Standing Orders, a proposal came from you that the Minority Leader should chair the Appointments Committee.
“Mr. Speaker, we disagreed with you. We were on the Majority front bench because I felt like, hey, if the Minority Leader is going to chair the Appointment Committee, what will be our fate? Speaker, today I can tell you that you were looking in the beyond,” Afenyo-Markin stated.
Afenyo-Markin, who is also the Member of Parliament of Effutu, admitted his mistakes, acknowledging that he and his colleagues at the time when they were in the Majority, made a poor judgment.
He said that they failed to consider how their decisions might later come back to affect them and how valuable the proposal was in upholding the country’s democracy.
“Sometimes, we disagree, but where on an occasion like this, I feel strongly that the point we were making at the time held a lot of value and still holds value for our democracy, I must admit I won’t shy away from it when I'm wrong,” he said.
Afenyo-Markin went on to caution the current Majority Caucus of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) not to be blinded by their newfound power and the excitement of holding the Majority status, urging them not to repeat the mistakes they made when they were in that position.
“So, Mr. Speaker, the joy of being in the Majority should not suddenly make the leader of this House forget that there is a side to be protected and a side to be heard,” he concluded.
Afenyo-Markin made this statement in response to a proposal by the Majority Leader, Mahama Ayariga, regarding the need for a debate quota in the chamber that would favor the Majority.
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