Supreme Court ruling on Deputy Speaker’s voting : I am in agreement, Minority was hypocritic

Former Acting General Secretary of the Convention People’s Party (CPP), James Kwabena Bomfeh, also known as Kabila has said he is in support of the Supreme Court’s judgment over the decision by the First Deputy Speaker, Joseph Osei Owusu to count himself for the purposes of a quorum and voting in Parliament.

That he said was because the Minority in the house has been hypocritical in their actions since this parliament begun.

Kabila made the comment on TV3 NewDay on Friday, March 11 monitored by GhanaPlus.com.

He blamed the development on the nature of the current parliament adding however, that all is not lost if the two sides will be patience, listen and appreciate each other’s view.

“Let me be honest with you, I am in agreement with the final decision of the Supreme court because I felt that what our brother were doing on the other side was hypocritic and it was also because of the mere hang nature of this parliament that is why we have come to this but it is not a helpless situation we cannot trek our way out of it. Let us with patience, calm and appreciation of each others point listen to one another,”Kabila said.

Deputy Speaker’s vote constitutional – Supreme Court

The Supreme Court of Ghana on Wednesday, March 9 dismissed an application to pronounce as unconstitutional, the decision by the First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Joseph Osei Owusu to count himself for the purposes of quorum during the passage of the government 2022 budget statement in the absence of the Speaker, Mr Alban Bagbin.

3news.com, report a 7-member panel of justices led by Justice Jones Dotse ruled that the Deputy Speaker of Parliament’s participation in voting was constitutional.

Ghana Parliament: Majority overturns 2022 budget rejection, approves it without the Minority

It could be recalled the Majority group in Parliament on November 30 overturned an earlier decision by the Minority group, supervised by Speaker Bagbin rejecting the 2022 budget and subsequently approved it in the absence of the Speaker and the Minority.

Mr Osei Owusu popularly known as Joe Wise, a sit-in Speaker adopted the statement on Tuesday November 30 in the absence of the minority who declined participation in the approval budget.

“The House has adopted the financial statement and approved the budget statement for the ensuing year ending 31st December 202,” the First Deputy Speaker said.

“This house has approved the budget and economic statement,” Mr Osei Owusu was reported to have emphasised.

Set aside 2022 budget rejection

The approval took place after the Majority Leader and Leader of Parliamentary Business, Mr Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu pleaded with Joe Wise to set aside the decision taken by the house on Friday November 26, rejecting the budget statement.

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.

Mr Kyei Mensah Bonsu mentioned the 137 members in the house on Friday, November 26 did not meet the required condition needed to make a decision of such.

Following the development which brought some clashes between the Speaker and his First Deputy, a Private Legal Practitioner, Justice Abdulai invited the Supreme Court to pronounce as unconstitutional, the Deputy Speaker’s action of counting himself for the purposes of quorum.

Lawyer Abdulai argued that in the context of articles 102 and 104 of the 1992 Constitution, the Deputy Speaker was not permitted to count himself for the purposes of quorum, since he had neither an original nor a casting vote as a presiding Speaker.

However, the Seven (7) member panel of judges ruled the Deputy Speaker’s action was constitutional.

The Supreme Court struck out the standing order 109(3) which says a Deputy Speaker or any other member presiding shall not retain his original vote while presiding.

They explained the Deputy Speaker can be counted during the quorum for decision making according to article 104(1).

The ruling, literally means government’s proposed electronic transaction levy(e-levy) have been passed.

Source: GhanaPlus.com