The Minority Leader in Parliament, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, has strongly objected to the use of the term “micro-Minority” to describe the New Patriotic Party (NPP) caucus in the House, describing it as inappropriate and unacceptable.
During the correction of Votes and Proceedings at the opening of the first sitting of the Ninth Parliament, Speaker Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin referred to the Minority caucus as a “micro-Minority.”
This sparked immediate protests from Afenyo-Markin, who insisted that the term was both unofficial and demeaning.
“Mr Speaker, the Minority Caucus hereby protests the description given to us by Mr Speaker. We find this unacceptable,” he declared, adding that the rules of Parliament only recognise the terms "Minority" and "Majority."
He further highlighted the Minority’s critical role in ensuring the Speaker’s election, accusing the Majority of attempting to conspire against him at the time.
“Mr Speaker, it was us, the Minority of conscience, who protected you; in fact, but for us, you would not be the Speaker,” Afenyo-Markin asserted.
He stressed that from now on, the term “micro-Minority” should not be used on the floor of Parliament, urging the Speaker and members of the House to refrain from any such reference.
“From today, nobody should ever use the term ‘micro-Minority’ to describe us in this House. We are the official Minority, and there cannot be any other description,” he emphasized.
Responding to the Minority Leader’s concerns, Speaker Bagbin admitted that the term “micro-Minority” was not recognised by the rules of Parliament.
He conceded that the objection was valid and assured the House that it would not be formally used in parliamentary records.
“He is totally right, and I would say that he himself misled me because he has used the term ‘micro-Minority’ in the past,” the Speaker remarked, though he clarified that Leaders of the House could still use the term in their discussions if they chose to.
Despite the Speaker’s clarification, Afenyo-Markin remained adamant that the term should be completely abandoned, reaffirming the NPP caucus’s position as the Minority without qualification.
Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith
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