The Minority Leader Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu has decried the scrapping of the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs from the government of President Mills. He said the absence of the ministry has negatively affected government business in parliament even if they (government) denies. President Mills as part of fulfilling his campaign promise of operating a lean government scrapped the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs and three other ministries with the rationale to reducing cost in running the affairs of government. But the Minority Leader told Joy News the government must be ‘licking its own wounds.’ He argued the Majority Leader who is the leader of government business has been disempowered by the decision to scrap the ministry. By Parliament’s own Standing Orders, only a minister has the power to lay papers on behalf of another minister. It is regrettable, he maintained, that the Majority Leader cannot pass “common papers” in Parliament because he is no longer a minister. He also argued that as the Leader of Government Business, he must be present during cabinet meetings in order to shape the policies of government in the House, but that has been curtailed. Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu insisted that powers bestowed on the position of a Majority Leader have been taken away. He narrated instances where the Majority Leader had to call on the Local Government Minister to lay a common paper before the House in order to proceed with government business. Deputy Majority Leader John Tia, conceded his immediate boss has been constrained but added that the standing orders can be reviewed to allow the Majority Leader to pass papers in the House even without a ministerial portfolio. Story by Nathan Gadugah/Myjoyonline