The Minority Leader in Parliament, Haruna Idrissu, has described the Supreme Court’s ruling that allows a Deputy Speaker of Parliament presiding over proceedings in Parliament to be counted in decision making as disappointing.
According to him, the ruling by the court amounts to judicial interference in time-tested Parliamentary practice and established conventions.
Speaking to the media in Parliament, Haruna Idrissu said the Supreme Court ruling is nothing but a way to show their support for E-Levy.
“Our attention has been drawn to a very disappointing ruling of the Supreme Court of Ghana with more or less amounts to judicial interference in time-tested Parliamentary practice and established conventions. Everywhere in the world, in civilized democracies including the United Kingdom, the presiding officer’s vote is discounted, so it’s not for nothing that Article 102 provides that ‘a person presiding shall have no original nor casting vote’.”
“judicial support for e-levy and nothing more, judicial support for a struggling economy in distress and a judicial support for the restoration of a matter that they have said is constitutional, is repugnant to the provisions of 102 and 104”. he said on March 8.
The Supreme Court has ruled that a Deputy Speaker of Parliament presiding over proceedings in Parliament has the right to be counted in decision making and has the right to participate in voting.
The court presided over by Justice Jones Dotse, held that the Deputy Speaker does not lose his right to take part in decision-making upon a true and proper interpretation of Article 103 and 104 of the 1992 Constitution.
The court, therefore, held that the passing of the budget on November 30, 2021 in which Joe Osei Owusu, the First Deputy Speaker counted himself as part of the quorum, was valid.
The court gave the unanimous decision today, March 9, 2022, after it dismissed a writ by a law lecturer, Justice Abdulai, who was challenging the decision of Mr Owusu to be counted as part of the quorum to pass the budget.
Justice Abdulai was seeking an interpretation by the Supreme Court on Articles 102 and 104 of the 1992 Constitution and declaring the action of Osei Owusu as unconstitutional.
He also wanted the Supreme Court to declare the whole proceedings in Parliament on November 30, 2021, which led to the passage of the 2022 budget as unconstitutional, insisting the Deputy Speaker should not have counted himself as an MP when he presided over proceedings.
Source: ghanaweb.com
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Let us go on please .I pray we change our minds from party to Ghana. The party will promote the foreign business and collapsing the Ghanaian of other party .Most our monies are taken away .Our leaders who lead negotiations for the country take very small percent for us and rest for the foreigner .For we are not against the E levy , if gov can stop the income tax and roll out the e levy.
NDC and its minority should understand that governance is continues process so their conduct today will one day bit them big time .In Ghana ,politics is eroded all the gains and the same people wants to be ex-gratia at the end of their tenure. If some MPs are kicking against Government plans to develop the country then we, the people of Ghana must rise against their ex-gratia payment coming days with strong demonstration
Minority NDC lost and they can kick and scream, nothing is going to change this verdict. Speaker and Chair of US Senate vote and our constitution is fashioned along the lines. Why not Ghana? So short sighted because they see only E-Levy in this judgement and nothing else. Speaker would not allow police to arrest MPs who break the law. Why? It is becoming too partisan and unreasonable.
I'm unfortunately very much disappointed by the Minority Leader in Parliament, Haruna Idrissu, because it seems his logic is not congruent with his command of the English language and as a lawyer. I just can't fathom why he can come out on good terms with his vote on decision-making in parliament but Joe Wise cannot? Despite the fact that they are both parliamentarians and their primary mandate is to represent their constituents. That they both additionally act as minority leader and deputy speaker in parliament is purely based on their merits and competence, as determined by the house for its procedures. Please note that just being opposed to everything because you belong to the opposition party is not healthy. It adversely makes you intellectually dishonest and incompetent.
So what is so wrong with paying taxes to be used to build roads and other things for the people, must we always go begging?I really don’t understand the anger of NDC in this matter.
Massa I respect you a lot but in this matter, you are behaving dumbly. Your political lenses need cleaning
So when Justice whatever his name is petitioned the supreme court for the interpretation of a constitutional provision which affected the workings of parliament, that was not deemed as an interference of parliaments tried and tested procedures? What do these people take us for??????
MINORITY IS LOST
Nungua and its environs have no flow of water for about two weeks now.Politicians help us. atleast repair the plant at nungua which filters the sea water for us to flash our toilets I PUPUU 3 times a day. where am l getting water to flash