Parliament To Consider Proposed Post Graduate Diploma Course In Parliamentary Reporting

The First Deputy Speaker of Parliament Ebo Barton-Odro says Parliament will be considering the proposed post graduate diploma course in Parliamentary reporting by the Commonwealth Hansard Editors to offer Hansard Editors and Reporters the needed knowledge to enhance their work in Parliament. Mr. Barton-Odro was speaking at the closing ceremony of the sixth Biennial Conference of the Africa Regional Commonwealth Parliamentary Hansard Editors Association at GIMPA in Accra. The Conference was under the theme: �e-Volving Parliaments: Hansard- Meeting the Challenges�. T The First Deputy Speaker emphasized the importance of Hansard in the democratization process in Africa and urged participants to put to good use lessons learnt from the conference for the benefit of the various parliaments in the sub-region. Radio Ghana�s Parliamentary Correspondent, Dominic Hlordzi, reports that participants at the Conference had extensive discussions and lectures on the methods used by Hansard Departments within various Parliaments in the light of evolution of governance systems and the ever-changing ICT applications in data storage and reportage. It afforded personnel of the Hansard Departments the opportunity to share experiences of best practices in the sub-region for the development of accurate and balanced Hansard. Mr. Ebo Barton-Odro said the roles of the Hansard editors are very critical in the growth of parliamentary work. The Conference elected the Hansard Editor in Ghana�s Parliament Alhaji Dahamani Issaka as the new President for the Africa Regional Commonwealth Parliamentary Hansard Editors Association. Presenting a communique and overview of the conference, Alhaji Issaka said the Association has resolved among others to raise awareness by making Hansard readily available for the information of the public and encourage the adoption of new ICT systems in the production of Hansard. He called for the admission of hansard documents as evidence in court to enhance the work of both parliament and the judiciary. The Conference was attended by participants from thirteen countries including South Africa, Kenya, Zambia, Uganda, Malawi and Bastwana. A director of hansard in South Africa Ntokolo Jezile explained how useful the Conference was to the hansard editors.