'Supreme Court’s ruling is a judicial support for killer E-Levy' – Apaak
Builsa South Member of Parliament, Dr Clement Abas Apaak
We will not allow deputy speakers to vote – Apaak
Read full articleWe will vote 137 no on E-Levy Bill – MP
Parliament is a master of its own rules – MP
Builsa South Member of Parliament, Dr Clement Apaak has indicated that the ruling of the Supreme Court that Deputy Speakers of Parliament can vote while presiding over the house is to aid the government pass the E-Levy Bill.
According to MP, the ruling will not dent the resolve of the minority caucus in parliament to prevent the levy from being passed.
In a series of tweets, Dr Apaak said that the minority caucus will not allow any interference in the work of Parliament, adding that the minority will prevent the deputy speakers from voting when they sit in the stead of Speaker Alban Bagbin.
“… the Supreme Court’s ruling is a judicial support for the KILLER E-Levy Levy. However, this will not change our resolve to vote 137 no against the much hated, rejected and obnoxious extortion scheme called E-levy.
“We will continue to resist any attempt by other arms of government to meddle with the work of Parliament. Parliament is a master of its rules, we make our rules and they are not at variance with the constituency.
“We wait to see who will enter the Chamber of Parliament to restrain us from preventing an attempt by a presiding Deputy Speaker to vote. The Supreme Court doesn't decide what happens in Parliament, the constitution and our standing orders do,” the MP’s tweets read.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has explained that the proper interpretation of Articles 103 and 104 of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana shows that Deputy Speakers do not lose their right to take part in decision-making while sitting in the stead of the Speaker.
The court which was presided over by Justice Jones Dotse, in addition to ruling that deputy speakers can vote, struck out order 109 (3) of the Standing Orders of Parliament which prevented a deputy Speaker presiding from voting, as unconstitutional.
Read tweets of Dr Apaak below
