The Minority caucus rejected Parliament’s approval of the 2022 Budget Statement and Economic Policy.
Haruna Iddrisu, the Minority Leader, insisted at a news conference that the action was null and void since the Majority lacked the required number of votes to approve the budget. The Clerk of Parliament counted 137 Members of Parliament [just the Majority members], but the acting Speaker of Parliament, Joseph Osei-Owusu, indicated he was also present, bringing the total number of Members of Parliament to 138.
Haruna Iddrisu, on the other hand, pointed out that the acting Speaker’s action was in violation of the House’s standing orders. He emphasized that the majority MPs in Parliament were 137, not 138, as claimed by the acting Speaker.
“A deputy Speaker shall not maintain his original vote while presiding,” according to the Constitution, “therefore constitutionally they were also 137, thus Ghanaians should assume that what they have done is likewise a nullity.” They are building a precedent that will come back to bite them in the future.”
Order 108 of the standing orders talks about voting in Parliament.
It stipulates that, no question for decision in the House shall be proposed for determination unless there are present in the House not less than one-half of all the Members of the House, and, except otherwise provided in the Constitution, the Question proposed shall be determined by the majority of votes of the Members present and voting.
Also, the Speaker shall have neither an original nor a casting vote and if upon any question before the House the votes are equally divided the motion shall be taken to be lost.
A Deputy Speaker or any other member presiding shall not retain his original vote while presiding. Haruna Iddrisu also said the Minority desires to see their concerns captured in the original budget statement.
“If you are acknowledging and admitting that there were concessions, let it reflect in the statement,” he said.
There had been prior discussions by both sides on portions of the budget, but consensus could not be reached.
