An eight member delegation from the Committee on Legal Affairs of the German Bundestag today working called on members of the Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee, Judiciary Committee, Subsidiary Legislation Committee and the Foreign Affairs Committee of Ghana’s Parliament.
Welcoming the delegation, the Chairman of the Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee, Hon. Kwame Anyimadu-Antwi, emphasized that this visit by the Members of the Bundestag to Ghana’s Parliament is historic since it is the first of its kind in the Fourth Republic of Ghana’s Parliamentary democracy.
Members of the joint Committee to shared experiences with their counterparts from the Bundestag on many areas including the rule of law, administering and access to justice, fighting of corruption, funding of political parties, human rights issues and the practice of Ghana’s Parliamentary processes.
The Vice-Chairperson of the Committee on Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, Hon. Bernard Ahiafor, narrated to the delegations the constitutional processes of how nomination of Ministers by the President is done and the prior approval by Parliament before appointment by the President.
The Vice-Chairperson of the Judiciary Committee, Hon. Cletus Avoka, explained to the delegation how Ghana has transformed from the Westminster, Presidential, Parliamentary and hybrid systems since the First Republic to the current Fourth Republic, stressing that perhaps the 1992 constitution has been the longest practicing constitution in the history of Ghana because of the combination of the Presidential and Parliamentary system of Government.
Hon. Avoka also wanted to know from the German MPs whether the government funds political parties in Germany.
Other members of the Joint Committee including Hon. Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, Hon. Dominic Ayine and Hon. Francis Xavier Sosu, spoke about the Justice for all programme and how many people who were on remand for more than eight (8) years were freed, the need to increase female representation in Parliament and how technology is being used to limit the level of corruption in the country.
On her part, the leader of the delegation Hon. Elizabeth Winkelmeier-Becker, noted that laws must be used to support the weak in the society, adding that it is only when Parliaments are strong by using the law that it can be strict on the government.
She responded to the question of states funding political parties by saying the German Government supports political parties that are able to pull about 0.5% in elections in order help it remain relevant.
On the issue of the status of sexual rights laws in Germany.
The delegation was made up of Hon. Elizabeth Winkelmeier-Becker (Chair of the Committee of Legal Affairs), Hon. Esra-Leon R. Limbacher (MP), Hon. Stephen Mayer (MP), Hon. Till Steffen (MP), Hon. Philipp Hartewig (MP), Hon. Stephen Brandner (MP) and Hon. Clara Anne Bunger(MP).
The delegation was also supported by staff of the German Parliament and the German Embassy in Accra, they include Mr. Michael-John Mccabe (Interpreter), Ms. Sara Hennemann (Secretary) and Pauline Okkens (Political and Protocol Section).
