A former Deputy Speaker of Parliament wants the current Speaker to change his leadership style to avoid needless confrontations with the Minority in 2019.

Ken Dzirasah has asked that as part of the Prof Mike Ocquaye’s New Year resolution, he should learn from his predecessors by accommodating opposing views.

“There is a big challenge with his style [which the minority has complained bitterly],” he told Raymond Acquah on Upfront.

According to him, the current Speaker's leadership style differs from what he (Ken Dzirasah) understudied under Justice D. F. Annan.

According to him, the principle that the late Justice espoused was one of a “proverbial judge who carries water in his mouth. He doesn’t descend into the arena of conflict and doesn’t mitigate his members on the floor.”     

The Minority has on several occasions questioned the independence and approach of Prof Mike Ocquaye, insisting he is overtly biased and unfair to them.

In March this year, the Minority declared a silent protest against the Speaker over alleged bias.

Related: Minority declares silent protest in another stand-off with Speaker

In that silent protest, the Minority were present on the floor but did not take part in any debate.

They claimed Prof Ocquaye has taken away the right of their leader, Haruna Inddrisu, to speak on matters they feel strongly about.

Ever since he was nominated and elected Speaker January 7, 2017, the relationship between Prof Ocquaye and the Minority has been anything but smooth.

There have been walkouts, boos, threats by the Minority Leader to disrespect the Speaker and even threats by the Minority as a whole to begin impeachment proceedings against the Speaker.

These claims Prof Mike Oquaye has dismissed as untrue.

But commenting on the development, the former deputy Speaker said studying the several complaints from the Minority, they all have touched on his leadership style.

“If you are a leader and people are dissatisfied with your output, you need to do some introspection and come out with something that will be generally acceptable,” Mr Dzirasah said.

The former deputy Speaker also took on the Akufo-Addo government’s fight against corruption citing what he calls its failure to prosecute as many people as it promised.