DEPUTY MAJORITY Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, hit out at the Minority National Democratic Congress (NDC) caucus yesterday, saying that the opposition lawmakers are now looking for evidence on the floor of Parliament to support their case filed at the Supreme Court.
The criticism followed assertion by the Minority Chief Whip, Mohammed-Mubarak Muntaka, that the Clerk to Parliament, Cyril Kwabena Nsiah, and his officers deliberately marked six members of his side absent when they were present in the chamber on Tuesday during the E-Levy debate.
He accused the Clerk of displaying partisanship by supervising the omission of vital information on the Votes and Proceedings of Tuesday, March 29, 2022, which could be used as evidence by the Minority to back their case against the approval of the Electronic Transfer Levy Bill (E-Levy).
But the Deputy Majority Leader did not take it kindly and said the attacks on the Clerk was unnecessary and selective since the Speaker has ultimate responsibility and not the Clerk, adding, “Mr. Speaker, we have read between the lines.”
“You [referring to Muntaka and his Deputy, Ahmed Ibrahim] are now coming to look for evidence by attempting to blame the Clerk at table, blaming everybody; saying this and that. We are here as leadership to guide proceedings and assist Mr. Speaker. You have to wait for us to look at the Votes and Proceedings.
“When you were talking about division; what you referred to, is it different from what happened? And if it is about looking for evidence for the Supreme Court, then let me correct you here and now so that you don’t confuse the Supreme Court,” Afenyo-Markin submitted.
He continued, “I am telling you that what happened in November that you referred to is not the same as what happened on Tuesday. Let the record reflect so that we will join the action in the Supreme Court.”
“Let us follow the procedure. Mr. Speaker says page one; let’s do page one and do page two. Don’t look for evidence by suddenly getting members to rise and speak. When we get to that page they can speak. Attacking the Clerk at table, Mr. Speaker, I beg of you, kindly let us proceed in accordance with our own rules,” he stated further.
“When we get to the appropriate page they have every right to respond. They should not attempt to indict Mr. Speaker. What they are doing is to indict you and the Clerk.
“The Votes and Proceedings were produced by the Rt. Hon. Speaker and the Clerk to Parliament. And if you want to indict Mr. Speaker so that the Supreme Court will rule in a certain way; the same Supreme Court you attacked yesterday? Is that what you are doing?” he quizzed.
He said the Minority was trying to undermine the authority of Parliament and the Speaker by their action, concluding, “You can’t do that.”
Three members of the Minority NDC MPs have filed a suit at the Supreme Court to challenge the approval of the E-Levy.
Leader of the caucus, Haruna Iddrisu, Mahama Ayariga and Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, are contesting that Parliament did not have the required number to form a quorum to pass the bill, asking the apex court to set aside the decision of Parliament.
Parliament on Tuesday, March 29, passed the 1.5% levy on electronic transactions, with the Minority walking out of Parliament in protest of the passage.
The suit wants a declaration that the purported vote by the Majority caucus Members of Parliament on each clause of the Electronic Transfer Bill, 2021 was in contravention of Article 104(1), and therefore null, void and of no effect whatsoever.
BY Ernest Kofi Adu, Parliament House