Minority vows not to backdown on its demands
Parliamentary sitting adjourned to Tuesday December 7, 2021
The first deputy speaker of Parliament, Joseph Osei Owusu (Joe Wise) was nowhere in sight as the second deputy speaker, Andrew Amoako Asiamah, presided over today’s brief parliamentary sitting.
This is the second time the Bekwai MP failed to show up in the Speaker’s chair after he did same on Wednesday’s sitting when he suspended sitting for an hour following his controversial overruling of the minority’s rescission motion on 2022 budget approval which sparked chaos in parliament.
Parliament returned with Fomena MP, Andrew Amoako Asiamah, who doubles as the second deputy speaker taking over proceedings.
The minority will not let it go as the leader of the side, Haruna Iddrisu, questioned the whereabout of the first deputy speaker following his controversial ruling.
He insisted that they will challenge his ruling at today’s sitting.
Joseph Osei Owusu on Wednesday December 1, 2021, overthrew the minority’s motion for rescission of the 2022 budget approval by the all majority MP side.
Delivering the ruling, Joe Wise defended his action in counting himself as the 138th MP to form a majority as required to take a decision as espoused in Article 104 (1) of the constitution.
“A few matters though which I wish to classify. First it must be clear that a deputy speaker is not a Speaker. Indeed, Article 96 (1) of the Constitution says and I quote ‘there shall be two deputy speakers who shall be elected by members of parliament from among members of parliament,” he said.
“And to contrast that to ‘Mr. Speaker’ …Mr. Speaker is not a member of Parliament. I am a member of parliament and the Honourable second deputy speaker is a member of parliament and our role is to assist the speaker in managing this House. Any attempt to read and interpret the constitution of ‘Mr. Speaker’ to include the deputy speakers is a misreading and a misapplication of the constitution. But when Mr. Speaker is not available, either of us can preside over the House” he explained further.
Meanwhile parliamentary sitting has been adjourned to Tuesday December 7, 2021 for the business of the House to continue.
First Deputy Speaker, Joseph Osei Owusu