Skip to main content

137 MPs have no power to reject budget - Majority caucus


The majority caucus in Parliament says the pronouncement by the Speaker of Parliament that the 2022 Budget Statement and Economic Policy of the government has been rejected by Parliament is “null, void and of no effect.”

According to the caucus, 137 members of Parliament have no power to take a decision for Parliament.

They have therefore asked the public to disregard the decision by the Speaker, Alban Bagbin, that 137 members of Parliament have the power to take a decision for Parliament and have consequently rejected the 2022 Budget.

Read also: 

In a press statement dated Friday, November 26, the Majority caucus argued that Article 104 of the 1992 Constitution and Order 109 of the Standing Orders of Parliament are very clear.

The two provisions, read together, require that at least 138 MPs needed to have been present in the Chamber at the time of the purported vote.

Read also: MTN fights MoMo fraud with $2.5m investment in AI

 

Therefore, the claim that the budget has been rejected by 137 Members of the House is null, void and of no effect because same is unconstitutional," they stated.

They said they were resolute and willing to ensure that the 1992 Constitution is respected to the letter by Speaker Bagbin and the Minority.

Below is a copy of the Press Statement

The Majority Caucus of the 8'' Parliament of Ghana hereby notifies the Ghanaian public to kindly disregard the decision by Speaker Alban Bagbin, that 137 members of Parliament have the power to take a decision for Parliament and have consequently rejected the 2022 Budget Statement and Economic Policy of the Government of Ghana.

Article 104 of the 1992 Constitution and Order 109 of the Standing Orders of Parliament are very clear.

The two provisions, read together, require that at least 138 MPs needed to have been present in the Chamber at the time of the purported vote.

Therefore, the claim that the budget has been rejected by 137 Members of the House is null, void and of no effect because same is unconstitutional.

The Majority Caucus finds it unfortunate that after making requests to the Finance Minister to reconsider some items in the Budget Statement, the Minority Caucus assisted by Speaker Bagbin, who had earlier indicated his ability to obstruct Government business, refused to give the Finance Minister an opportunity to accommodate their requests and instead hurriedly moved on to their own, attempt to vote against the Budget in a bid to subject the Government of Ghana to embarrassment for mere partisan reasons.

For the record, the acts of the Minority and the decision of the Speaker to endorse it, constitute an unconstitutionality and an illegality and should be disregarded, as same is void and of no effect whatsoever.

We assure the good people of Ghana of our resolute willingness to ensure that the 1992 Constitution is respected to the letter by Speaker Bagbin and the Minority.

 

Drama in Parliament

Graphic Online's Parliamentary correspondent, Nana Konadu Agyeman reported that last Friday's sitting was not without fanfare and drama as the Majority group, for the first time, staged a walkout after the Speaker, Mr Alban Kingsford Sumana Bagbin, had ordered all non-Parliamentarians to vacate the Chamber.

The Speaker's order came after the Minority Chief Whip, Mr Mohammed-Muntaka Mubarak, had prayed the Speaker to order out ministers of state who were not MPs prior to the vote by division.

Although the non-MPs left the Chamber, the Majority protested the presence of the General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, who was seated in the public gallery in the Chamber.

The agitation by the Majority members stemmed from the fact that the Speaker had earlier threatened to direct the Marshals of Parliament to drive out ministers of state who were in the Chamber and were not Parliamentarians.

In the view of the Speaker, the ministers were not required to take part in the vote by division and, therefore, needed to leave the Chamber..

Thus at the time of the rejection of the budget, the Majority side was not in the Chamber.

Parliament had, through a voice vote, rejected a request by Ofori-Atta to meet the leadership of the House before the approval of the 2022 Budget.

The Deputy Majority Leader, Alexander Afenyo Markin, challenged the Speaker's interpretation of the voice vote and called for a ‘division'.

Bagbin thus directed that, per the orders of the House, non-MPs had to vacate the Chamber during the voice division process.

Majority

Nana Konadu Agyeman reported that in a short media interaction, the Majority Leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, expressed concern about the Speaker's directive.

He said the Majority side would henceforth not tolerate the "machoism and illegalities" displayed by the Speaker.

Although sitting was to begin at 10:00 a.m., the Majority MPs failed to show up on time.

Source: Daily Graphic

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Nestlé Ghana Limited Wins Overall Best Industrial Company Of The Year at 13th AGI Industry & Quality Awards

  Nestlé Ghana Limited has been honored with four prestigious awards at the 13th Association of Ghana Industry and Quality Awards ceremony. The event, held in an esteemed setting, gathered prominent figures from Ghana’s industrial sector. Amidst the anticipation, Nestlé Ghana emerged as one of the evening’s notable winners, securing accolades in several key categories. This recognition underscores Nestlé Ghana’s relentless pursuit of excellence and innovation, marking a significant milestone that highlights the company’s substantial contributions to the manufacturing industry in Ghana. Nestlé Ghana's exceptional performance was acknowledged with the following awards: Overall Best National Quality Award, Diamond Category (Food) Overall Best Practices in Sustainable Manufacturing Best Company (Food Sector) Overall Industrial Company of the Year, affirming its status as a leader not only within the food sector but also across Ghana's entire industrial landscape. This success is a ...

Anglogold Ashanti Obuasi Mine tops 2024 Sustainability & Social Investment Awards

 AngloGold Ashanti Obuasi Mine has confirmed its status as sustainability champions by sweeping nine awards, the most won by a company at the 2024 Sustainability & Social Investment Awards (SSI) held at Movenpick Ambassador Hotel in Accra. The feat comes on the heels of a dominant performance in last year's event where AngloGold Ashanti Obuasi Mine swept seven awards. The SSI Awards organised by Ianmatsun Global Services recognizes the most outstanding sustainability, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) initiatives in the country and beyond as well as the best teams and individuals who brought them to life. This year's event, which was the 8th edition, was under the theme "Climate Action Now: Accelerating Decarbonization and Building Resilience". The awards won by AngloGold Ashanti on the night include SSI Company of the Year, Best Company in Women Empowerment (project), SSI Company of the Year ( Environment), Best Co...

Zoomlion Advocates Community & Gender inclusive waste management for Climate Action at COP 29

 Africa's waste management giant, Zoomlion Ghana Limited has advocated for an integrated approach to waste management that considers the interest of community members, women and vulnerable groups. James Deku, a Communications Officer of Zoomlion Ghana Limited made this call at the 29th session of the Conference Of Parties (COP 29) of the United Nations Framework Convention for Climate Change (UNFCCC) at Azerbaijan, Baku whiles speaking on the topic "Community-Driven and Gender Inclusive approaches to waste management for Climate Action ". He said the waste sector is a major contributor of methane emissions which is a potent greenhouse gas causing climate change hence the need to manage waste in a manner that considers the interest of all stakeholders. Zoomlion's waste management model is designed and operated in a manner that considers the interest of all stakeholders. Through a Public Private Partnership (PPP) model, local authorities engage community members in clea...