Set aside 2022 budget rejection – Majority Leader tells sit-in Speaker

The Majority Leader of Parliament, Mr Osei Keye Mensah Bonsu has asked the First Deputy Speaker, Mr Joseph Osei Owusu to set aside the supposed rejection of the 2022 budget statement presided over by the Speaker, Alban Bagbin.

Parliament on Friday, November 26, rejected the “Budget Statement and Economic Policy of the Government of Ghana for the 2022 Financial Year,” presented to it for consideration.

3news.com report “Majority members of the house staged a walkout during proceedings on Friday, November 26 but that did not stop the Speaker, Alban Bagbin, from ruling on the motion”.

“He had given a five-minute break for the Majority members to resume their seats”.

“But after the time elapsed, Mr Bagbin ruled that the budget has been rejected after the members present overwhelmingly shouted ‘No,” 3news.com said.

 Disregard 2022 budget rejection claims- Majority

The majority subsequently described the rejection of the budget as unconstitutional and void.

According to them, Parliament standing orders requires the house to have at least 138 before the speaker can put a question and vowed to contest the decision.

“Order 109 says the Speaker requires 138 members at least before he can put a question. He may have a quorum to take questions and statements but he needs 138 to put a question,” Member of Parliament for the New Juaben South Constituency,Mr Michael Okyere Baafi said in a Facebook post sighted by GhanaPlus.com.

“Any decision that is taken with less than 138 people in the chamber is void,” he added.

Set aside budget rejection – Majority Leader

Speaking on the floor of Parliament on Tuesday, November 30, the Majority Leader told, the First Deputy Speaker, sitting in for the Speaker of Parliament who is currently away in Dubai for medical reasons that he should set aside the suppose rejected 2022 budget.

According to him, proceedings which led to the rejection of the budget “did not meet the test established under Article 104” hence the need to set it aside.

He maintained, the Minority’s 137 members in the house on Friday, November 26 did not meet the required condition to take the decision it took.

Source: GhanaPlus.com