Day’s of Consensus in Parliament are over –Minority vows to Strict Votes
The Minority in Parliament has warned their colleagues of the Majority Group that henceforth all parliamentary decisions will be subjected to votes.
This means both sides must have their entire membership in the House at all times.
Addressing the press on Tuesday, November 30, after the majority caucus overturned a decision to reject the 2022 Budget on Friday, Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu, warned the NPP MPs that they will have no consensus with their on critical issues going forward.
The Minority also stated that their colleagues on the Majority side in the House acknowledged that the 2022 budget was rejected on Friday, 26th November 2022.
According to the Minority, the actions by the Majority in Parliament would haunt them because they never had the number they claim to have to overturn the decision presided over by the Speaker of Parliament.
“As far back as Friday we the Minority rejected the 2022 budget which reflected in votes and proceedings. I am particularly happy that even the Majority Leader in his submissions admitted that we were 137 but decided to walk out from a humiliating defect that was deserving to him and his government.
“The Constitution says a deputy Speaker shall not retain his original vote while presiding, so constitutionally they were also 137. Ghanaians should expect that what they have done is also a nullity to quote them. The precedent they are setting will haunt them in the future.” the Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu stated at a press conference in Parliament Tuesday 30th November 2022.
He referred to Article 104 and supported by the Standing Order 109 as the bases on which what the Minority did with the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin did by rejecting the budget as legitimate.
“Expect otherwise provided for in this Constitutions matters in Parliament shall be determine by votes of Majority of Members present and voting with at least half of the members present,” the Minority Leader quoted.
The Majority caucus in Parliament on Tuesday, November 30, approved the 2022 Budget statement after the NDC MPs boycotted proceedings after failing to reach an agreement with the Majority over the status of the budget.
While the Majority insisted the rejection of the budget last Friday was unlawful, the Minority maintains the House followed due process in rejecting it.
Series of meetings to resolve the standoff yielded no results as the majority and the Executive stood their grounds of not presenting a new budget.
All the 137 NDC MPs consequently boycotted today’s sitting without even registering their names in the attendance book.
Starr News sources within the Minority say the move is to stop the majority from using the first deputy speaker Joseph Osei-Owusu to undo a decision taken by parliament with Speaker, Alban Bagbin presiding to reject the budget.
The majority argued the 137 NDC MPs were short of the constitutionally mandated half of the total number of MPs for decision taking. The decision by the minority is to also ensure the Majority is also left with 137 MPs with the first deputy speaker presiding.
Source: expressnewsghana.com
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