News:
December 2, 2021
The 2022 Budget and Economic Statement of government has suffered major setbacks following two different decisions taken on it by either sides of the House in an attempt to approve or otherwise.
While a one sided Minority on Friday November 26, 2021 with all it 137 members present rejected the budget statement when the Majority side of the House staged a walked out, another one sided decision by the Majority caucus with one 138 with the presiding Speaker included also overturned the earlier decision and subsequently approved it.
As expected, the Minority caucus relying on the same standing orders of Parliament and constitutional provision of the 1992 Constitution (Article 104(1), and Standing Order 109(1)) that regulates the process of decision making in the House; as relied on by the Majority side to overturn the earlier decision, also moved a motion to once again set aside the Tuesday, November 30, 2021 decision by the Minority.
The budget is currently said to be in limbo as the presiding Speaker Joseph Osei Owusu failed to put the question before the House on the motion by the Minority.
An attempt by the presiding Speaker to rule on the motion was fiercely rejected by the Minority stating procedural error on the part of the Speaker.
The resultant effect of this was a chaotic scene on the floor of the House forcing the Speaker to summarily suspend the House for an hour.
However upon resumption of proceedings the First Deputy Speaker could not return to the chamber, instead the Second Deputy Speaker took over …… who chaired proceedings could not return instead the second Deputy and subsequently adjourned the House.
Dominic Shirimori/Ghanamps.com