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The Majority in Parliament has stated that the 2024 budget statement is approved based on the voice vote that was held on Wednesday, November 29. However, the headcount, which speaker Alban Bagbin has requested be rescheduled for next week, may indicate otherwise.
On Thursday, November 30, the speaker of Parliament asked the Business Committee to reschedule the headcount, indicating that there would be no debate on the issue.
We don’t need to discuss this issue. We need to make a decision on the budget, and as it is a matter of record, I give the business committee instructions to reschedule the matter for next week.
“The budget statement and economic policy of the government for the year 2024 is still before the house and so the business committee will reschedule it for next week,” he said.
The Majority side of the house boycotted proceedings on Wednesday, November 29, making it impossible for Parliament to approve the budget. This is the second time that they have walked out on their own budget; the first time was on the 2022 budget statement, which introduced the e-levy.
In a statement released on Thursday, November 30, Deputy Majority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin stated that “After yesterday’s budget debate concluded, the Speaker was required by House protocol to ask whether the policy and guiding principles of the budget are approved.
The Speaker asked the question and declared that the “ayes” had it after some thought. The Deputy Minority Leader, Armah Kofi-Buah, then stood in response to Order 113(2) in order to challenge what he believed to be a decision made by the Rt. Hon. Speaker. The challenge had prompted him to demand a headcount. The Majority Leader and Deputy Majority Leader intervened as a result of this.
“They raised procedural issues in respect of the application brought before the Speaker. Despite the procedural objections raised, the Speaker declined to acknowledge these concerns and expressed his intention to proceed with a headcount as demanded. At this juncture, the leadership of the majority caucus insisted on their readiness to submit to the headcount that was being sought.
“The headcount, a process where members indicating “aye” or “no” rise to be counted, typically takes approximately 10 minutes. The results are then tallied by table officers and presented to the Speaker, who announces the outcome. Instead of sticking to the request of the headcount, the Speaker then said that he was drawing the attention of the House to the possibility of resorting to a division, and indeed the Speaker then called for a division. This came as a surprise to Members of the Majority Caucus, since no such application for a division had been presented to the Speaker.
“The decision to call for a division was certainly not the initial application. Leadership of the Majority,-well aware that under our rules, being absent during a headcount disqualifies a member from being recorded present, whereas in a division, absent members who rush in can be counted as participants, even if they were not present when the question was initially put- ; moved to halt this process that would have allowed some of the minority MPs who were outside Accra at the time to be able to proceed to Parliament to be counted, even though the Majority was fully aware that it was not going to give the minority any advantage.
“This departure from the call for a headcount generated heat and was set to frustrate government business; at the same time undermining the sanctity of the parliamentary processes. Since 1993, Parliament has never resorted to a division in making decisions. The Majority concluded the choice for a division was unfair under the circumstance, leading to their decision to stage a walkout.
“It is essential to note that despite the Speaker’s indication that the ‘ayes’ had prevailed, and despite a petition presented to him, a petition that hadn’t followed due process, the Speaker’s initial ruling on the ‘ayes’ retaining their advantage stands. Consequently, the budget has been duly passed until the appeal for a headcount is dealt with, not the division that the Speaker had called.”
The Majority side of the house boycotted proceedings on Wednesday, November 29, making it impossible for Parliament to approve the budget. This is the second time that they have walked out on their own budget; the first time was on the 2022 budget statement, which introduced the e-levy.
They didn’t agree with Mr. Bagbin’s methods of running the company. They claimed that the Speaker was holding up the process so that the Minority could have all of their members present in the House.
Source: Ghanatodayonline.com
