The Majority in Parliament has questioned the legality with which the Speaker of Parliament on Friday, November 26 led a one-sided House to pronounce judgement on the 2022 budget statement as delivered on behalf of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo by his Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, on Wednesday, November 17.
“The motion on the budget as far as we are concerned has not been pronounced on by Parliament,” Majority Leader Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu told journalists a few hours after the Speaker, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, ruled on the motion.
“It is still standing in the name of the Minister for Finance and in the fullness of time a properly-constituted House, not one presided over by the Right Honorable Speaker, will make the decision.”
The Speaker had led ruling on the motion after a walk-out by the Majority.
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Since there were no members of that caucus, the ‘No’ voice vote by the Minority reverberated in the chamber, leaving the Speaker with no option than to pronounce ruling.
In his address to journalists, Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, who is also Member of Parliament for Suame Constituency, accused the Speaker of “mischief” in supporting his action with the Standing Orders of Parliament.
“What happened [on Friday] involved a decision of the House and in that case it is not Article 102. It is Article 104.”
He said the Speaker erred in supporting his action with the former when he was aware at least two members of the Minority were absent in the House before the voice vote was conducted.
He insists that the “motion moved by the Minister of Finance has not been lost, It still stands”.
-By Emmanuel Kwame Amoh|3news|Ghana
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