Speaker of the Parliament of Ghana Alban S. K. Bagbin and his delegation hold talks with Mukabalisa Donatille, Speaker of Rwanda Chamber of Deputies, together with Deputy Speakers Edda Mukabagwiza and Sheikh M. Fazil. They shared experiences and best practices of both Parliaments.
Deputy Speaker Edda Mukabagwiza made a presentation on the functioning and responsibilities of the Parliament of Rwanda. She pointed out that MPs are elected by the people and entrusted with acting on their behalf.
“Members vote on individual capacity not as party block because a member of Parliament of Rwanda once elected, becomes the representative of the people at the national level and works for the attainment of the general interests.” Deputy Speaker Mukababwiza said.
Members of the delegation of the Parliament of Ghana engaged with their counterparts on various issues including gender sensitivity, people’s representation, and how the Parliament engages with the public as well as addresses people’s concerns.
Cyril Kwabena Oteng Nsiah, Clerk of the Parliament of Ghana, highlighted the mandate of the Parliament which are representational, legislation, oversight, financial and deliberative.
Cyril Nsiah said Ghana MPs serve as the link between their constituents and the central government, through mechanisms such as Motions, Statements and Questions, and added that they can draw the attention of the government to issues affecting their constituencies for a solution.
He explained that the Parliamentary Service which was established by 1992 Constitution and is mandated to provide professional and non-partisan administrative, procedural, and technical support services for the effective and efficient discharge of the mandate of the Parliament.
Speaker of the Parliament of Ghana, Alban S. K. Bagbin, showcased that they have learnt more from various capital areas of the Parliament functioning, stating, “We definitely try to imbibe some practices that you are doing here, particularly with great emphasis on gender issues.”
“We shared experiences on the functioning of both parliaments, and how we discharge our duties. We are delighted to have learned from each other”: Speaker of Rwanda Chamber of Deputies Mukabalisa Donatille said. (End).