A Senior Vice President of IMANI-Africa, Kofi Bentil, has suggested that the section of the 1992 Constitution which provides for who qualifies to be appointed Deputy Speaker, should be amended to enable senior clerks of Parliament assume that position when the need arises.

He argues that no Member of Parliament should be made to preside over the House since they have a responsibility to represent their constituents.

He made the assertions on Joy FM's Super Morning Show on Thursday, March 10, 2022.

"Why don’t we amend the Constitution to say that parliamentarians should remain parliamentarians since they want to represent their people so badly and retain their votes at all times? They should do just that and if the Speaker is not available the senior most Clerk of Parliament should preside,” he said.

His comment follows the Supreme Court’s unanimous ruling that affirmed Deputy Speakers’ capacity to cast a vote while presiding over proceedings of the House.

The Supreme Court presided over by Justice Jones Dotse ruled that a Deputy Speaker can be counted during the formation of a quorum for parliamentary decision-making and participate in voting while presiding over the parliamentary business.

Commenting on the outcome, he stated that though he accepts the ruling, he disagrees with it.

"An ordinary member in the normal course of their duties has a vote but when a member assumes parliamentary positions, which is a privilege accorded them within Parliament and is beyond what they were voted to come and do, they cannot keep their votes," he said.

"I hold the view that going forward, we may have to use senior officers of Parliament who may not necessarily be Members of Parliament for some of these roles so that MPs remain MPs," he said.

"It is time for us to deal with those inadequacies and fashion a better constitution, so that we don't end up crushing the Fourth Republic," he added.