Speaker orders removal of RTI from Order Paper

General News on Thursday, March 21, 2019

Source: starrfm.com.gh

2019-03-21

The Speaker of Parliament, Professor Mike Oquaye, ordered Thursday to withdraw the Right to Information Bill from the Order Paper.

Civil society organizations have asked for certain changes to be made before the bill is pbaded.

The RTI coalition has put forward some proposals for inclusion in the bill before it is pbaded.

In announcing the directive, the President said, "We have a duty to listen to divergent views on this issue."

The Speaker's directive comes just 24 hours after the leader of the majority and the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs announced that the bill would be pbaded on Friday, March 22.

"Mr. Speaker, as I said, the policy issue has been settled. What remains now is that civil society has proposed new proposals to incorporate them into the bill. Apart from that, nothing prevents us from closing things.

"That's why I say it's even possible to end business this week, Friday," said Mensah-Bonsu.

During Wednesday's parliamentary proceedings, Second Vice President Alban Bagbin urged civil society organizations to stop lobbying for their proposals to be included in the bill at all costs.

He said: "Civil societies should be informed that these things are evolutionary and not revolutionary. They are evolving and some of the proposals could therefore be legislated, but could be delayed with respect to implementation issues. "

The RTI

The RTI bill was introduced in Parliament by Deputy Attorney General Joseph Kpemka Dindiok in March of this year.

It's been 22 years since the first RTI bill was drafted under the auspices of the Institute of Economic Affairs of the IEA and 16 years since the executive arm of the government in 2002, the first RTI bill .

The draft executive law was then considered in 2003, 2005 and 2007 but was never tabled in Parliament until 5 February 2010.