The Supreme Court has almost put finality and closure to the debate on the voting rights of Deputy Speakers of Parliament, while they are presiding over the business of the House in the absence of the Speaker.
This followed a suit not filed by any of the boys or girls belonging to the two leading political parties, but by an ordinary citizen.
The decision to go to court, in his own words, stemmed from his conviction that a way ought to be found in the maze of seeming confusion among Parliament’s own top actors, including the Speaker and his First Deputy.
Finality
When the Law Lords and Ladies sat on the matter, they ruled essentially that a Deputy Speaker has the right to exercise his vote, while presiding, as a representative of his constituents, as against the views of the Speaker and the Minority.
Away from the negative responses on the part of the Minority and political communicators from the NDC’s corner, majority of experts believe that while we may all not agree with the views expressed by the Supreme Court, we owe it a duty to God and country to be civil, not unduly agitated, in our reactions.
We may ask for a review, which is healthy and normal, but we must seek options in moving forward, by continuing to develop consensus, instead of waging wars of attrition in the face of serious challenges on us as a nation.
Overboard
That is why most decent citizens find the Minority Leader’s reaction to the ruling a bit overboard, especially coming from a leader who should be helping in strengthening our governance systems.
The worrying trait about the NDC is that it forgets that the Constitution which we are currently operating is a baby of its founder, Jerry John Rawlings, and the NDC as a political party and government.
It forgets that the Constitution had flawed roots in terms of its transitional provisions. Additionally, it forgets that the Judiciary, which they are quick at bastardising, derives its powers from the Constitution just like the Executive and the Legislature.
Worse still, the NDC forgets that a major function of the Supreme Court is to interpret laws, if they are lawfully called upon to do so, and that they owe no political party or government an apology for their decisions which are explained in their rulings.
History
It is even embarrassing when NDC elements strain veins to attack the Supreme Court when they know that, even from 1992, the party lost most of its cases because they were so bad and self-serving.
As more discerning elders in the NDC would admit, Ghana’s Judiciary has never been intimidated to the point of making lazy and opportunistic rulings.
From Kwame Nkrumah and Dr. KA Busia to Hilla Limann, and Jerry Rawlings himself, the truth has stood eloquently, even when a JJ Rawlings snatched Justice Philip Archer’s walking stick and queried why he would rule against his appointing authority.
While our opinion of politics today may be like a theatre of clowns, the Supreme Court is not. That is also why we expect the Legislature to emulate that shining example, and act independent instead of allowing itself to be remote-controlled on the anvils of funding of the MPs for the next elections.
Still growing
Our MPs, particularly the Minority, need to appreciate that the Legislature is a privileged platform for learning, not pretence and hypocrisy. As far as we are concerned, the best MPs are those who are willing to learn, not so that they win the next elections per se, but so that they contribute in developing the hallowed institution in service to God and country.
It is our fervent opinion that now that we know our systems developed in 1992 were built on clay, we will sincerely dust ourselves and move on, taking opportunity of the processes to improve, and not butt our good selves.
The NDC may go to court for a review, if it thinks it has the locus to do so, or it is in the public interest. That is the way to help sanitise our entire governance system. Otherwise, they must learn to live with it as civilised people in a civilised society, while we all consider the decisions of our Supreme Court as sacrosanct.
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