Ken Ofori-Atta
The Majority in Parliament has insisted that the 2024 budget has been lawfully passed until the appeal for a headcount is resolved, despite a contrary view put out there by the Speaker, Alban S.K. Bagbin.
According to a statement signed by the Deputy Majority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, following the conclusion of the budget debate last Wednesday, the Speaker was to put the question regarding the approval of the policy and principles underpinning the budget.
“After a period of deliberation, the Speaker posed the question and announced that the ‘ayes’ had it. Subsequently, the Deputy Minority Leader, Armah Kofi-Buah, rose on account of Order 113(2) to contest what he (Mr. Armah Kofi-Buah) deemed as a ruling by the Rt. Hon. Speaker,” he stated.
“As a result of the challenge, he called for a headcount. This prompted an intervention from the Majority Leader and Deputy Majority Leader. They raised procedural issues in respect of the application brought before the Speaker,” the statement noted.
It indicated that 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,” the statement said.
The statement added that 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,” it said.
The statement indicated that the 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.
It explained that it was a move 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 circumstances, leading to their decision to stage a walkout,” the statement noted.
It indicated that despite the Speaker’s indication that the ‘ayes’ had prevailed, and 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 stressed.
By Ernest KofiAdu, Parliament House