Ghana's new parliament sworn in ahead of presidential inauguration

• Ghama's new parliament was sworn in early Monday. • The new parliament has 275 members, 45 more than the fifth parliament. • Adjaho urged members of the parliament to stay united. ACCRA, Jan. 7 (Xinhua) -- Ghama's new parliament was sworn in here early Monday, hours before a scheduled ceremony to install John Dramani Mahama as the country's new president. At 12:00 midnight, the police band sounded the Last Post to signify the end of the road for the fifth parliament which had 177 members re-elected into the new house. The new parliament, the sixth for the Fourth Republic of Ghana, has 275 members, 45 more than the fifth parliament. Clerk of parliament Emmanuel Anyimadu then opened nominations for the position of Speaker, and Edward Doe-Adjaho from the Avenor-Ave in the Volta Region was the only one proposed, and thus got elected unopposed.

Adjaho urged members of the parliament to stay united and work in concerted efforts to get business done. "I will discharge the duties of this house with discipline, humility, diligence, maturity and sincerity," said Adjaho, who first entered parliament in January 1993 and has held onto his parliamentary seat since then. The new speaker pledged to deepen the practice of parliamentary democracy in Ghana, adding that he would do so by ensuring a bipartisan approach to all matters of national interest, while being fair in all matters. continued