Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin has reacted to claim the he committed an illegality when he allowed137 Members of Parliament to reject the 2022 Budget Statement and Economic Policy of the Government on Friday, November 26, 2021.
The Speaker who is currently in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for a medical review posted on his Facebook handle that there were more than 137 Members of Parliament on the Floor when he put the question for the approval or rejection of the Economic Policy and Financial Statement of the government for the 2022 financial year often referred to as the Budget for 2022.
The Majority Caucus in Parliament claimed decision by Speaker Alban Bagbin, to allow 137 members of Parliament to vote against the 2022 Budget was unconstitutional, making reference to Article 104 of the 1992 Constitution and Order 109 of the Standing Orders of Parliament, the Majority stated that the two provisions, read together, require that at least 138 MPs needed to have been present in the Chamber at the time of the purported vote.
But, Rt. Hon. Alban Bagbin in his response, stated that the number of attendants (MPs) at that moment was 138 and not 137 as purported by the Majority Caucus in Parliament.
Read Speaker’s Full statement below.
Please let it be known that there were more than 137 MPs on the Floor when I put the question for the approval or rejection of the Economic Policy and Financial Statement of the government for the 2022 financial year often referred to as the Budget for 2022.
After the rejection of the request by the Minister of Finance to be given more time to consult the expanded leadership of Parliament, one member of the Majority Caucus came to sit on the last row of the seats on the Majority side by the side-door facing the Speaker’s lobby.
That took the number of attendants at that moment to 138. So when the question was put by me to the Plenary, the Hon. Gentleman remained silent.
I am asking Ghanaians to please disregard the survival antics by the ever loquacious Leader of the Majority Group in today’s hung Parliament. The budget was lawfully rejected!
