Parliament fails to conduct business due to lack of quorum

Parliament on Tuesday, June 27, failed to conduct business due to the lack of quorum.

Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Majority Leader and Leader of Government Business in Parliament said most Members of the House were in the Assin North Constituency for the ongoing Parliamentary by-election.

The 1992 Constitution requires that a quorum of Parliament, apart from the person presiding, shall be one-third of all the Members of Parliament (MPs).

Thus of the 275 MPs, 93 were required to be in attendance to constitute a quorum.
However, the Ghana News Agency (GNA) observed that as at 1145 hours, when Mr Joseph Osei-Owusu, the First Deputy Speaker, presiding, adjourned the House, there were three National Democratic Congress (NDC) Minority MPs and 11 NPP Majority MPs in the Chamber.

Due to the lack of quorum, Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu moved the Motion for the adjournment of the House to Thursday, June 29, at 1000 hours.

Mr James Agalga, the NDC MP for Bulsa North and the available Leader on the Minority front bench, seconded the motion.

The House has since adjourned to Thursday, June 29.