New Parliament Rules Permit MPs To Join Independent Caucus

Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, has disclosed that the new Standing Orders of the House include provisions enabling MPs to belong to an independent caucus.

This is quite a departure from the conventional alignment with either the Majority or Minority caucuses.

The former Nadowli Kaleo MP made this revelation during his opening remarks in Parliament as the new standing orders, effective from Tuesday, February 6th, came into force.

Under the updated rules, MPs now have the option to join what is termed as the independent caucus, offering an alternative to affiliating with either the Minority or Majority.

Mr Bagbin emphasised the flexibility provided by these changes, stressing, “We can have an independent president in this country without members of parliament.”

He further emphasized that the rule amendments acknowledge the current political landscape and anticipate potential future scenarios.

Additionally, per the new Standing Orders, parliamentary sessions will now commence with the recitation of the National Pledge.

One of the significant changes introduced is the requirement for heads of government institutions to appear directly before Parliament to address inquiries related to their agencies, contrasting with the previous practice of allowing Ministers of State to represent them during questioning.