The new standing orders will go into effect on Tuesday, February 6, when lawmakers will recite the National Pledge to open sessions.

With this major modification to the new standing orders, heads of state of institutions must now immediately come before Parliament to answer questions about their agencies.

This change is in contrast to the former standing regulations that allowed Ministers of State to act as the heads of institutions’ representatives when being questioned.

Members of Parliament will be called to order and take part in reading the national promise at the beginning of proceedings under the new regime.

In his analysis of the changes, First Deputy Minority Whip in Parliament Ahmed Ibrahim noted that independent agencies like the Auditor General, the Electoral Commission, the head of CHRAJ, the governor of BoG, the NCCE, and the governor will now be subject to questions on the floor of the legislature just like ministers.

“Independent bodies like the Electoral Commission, the CHRAJ boss, the BoG governor, NCCE, and the Auditor General are going to be questioned just as we question ministers on the Floor and the mode of answering questions on the Floor has also been provided in the new Standing Orders.

“Previously, if you wanted to invite the EC, they would say he had no audience on the Floor and if the Common Fund administrator needed to come unless the discussion was led by the Minister but this time around, it is not going to be the same.

“The administrator can come and be interrogated by a committee and can be asked questions and he will respond to the questions and the mode of answering the questions has been catered for in the new Standing Orders”.