Parliament vacates for lack of umbers
Accra, Dec 04, Ghanadot/GNA - Parliament on Tuesday sat for
only 15 minutes because of lack of numbers to vote on the
government's Financial Policy for the fiscal year ending
2008.
Debate on the budget ended on Monday and the House was to
take a vote on it on Tuesday but there was no quorum.
After prayers the Speaker, Mr Ebenezer Begyina Sekyi-Hughes,
sought guidance from the leadership of the House as to how
to approach business for the day.
Mr Edward Doe Adjaho, Deputy Minority Leader, said the House
should have taken a vote on the budget and asked if that
could be done judging form the numbers present.
As at 1007 hours, the Chamber was barely full.
Standing Order 48 (1) of the Parliament of Ghana states "the
presence of at least one third of all the Members of
Parliament besides the person presiding shall be necessary
to constitute a quorum of the House."
Mr Adjaho suggested that the House took a short break while
the leadership of both sides marshaled members to continue
with business in the chamber.
But Mr Abraham Ossei Aidooh, Majority Leader and Minister
for Parliamentary Affairs, moved for an adjournment for the
next day as member were at various committee meetings to
work on estimates for the Ministries, Departments and
Agencies (MDA's) for parliamentary approval next week.
He reminded colleagues on various committees to be present
in the chamber before proceedings begin at 1000 hours on
Wednesday.
As the Speaker's procession exited the Chamber, there were
shouts from the side of the National Democratic Congress (NDC)
directed at the Majority: " We are here, where are your
people?"
Earlier Mr Haruna Iddrisu, NDC-Tamale South, had wanted to
know why questions advertised to be asked on Tuesday and
were to be answered by the ministers for Defence and
Interior were not part of the business of the day.
In reply, Mr Aidooh said the questions were not there
because of delay in having answers to those questions but
gave an assurance that they would be answered before the
House rises on December 18.
GNA
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