Former President John Mahama has said the Supreme Court ruling that deputy Speakers can vote while presiding over affairs in Parliament leads the country into absurdity.
“If Deputy Speakers, because they are Members of Parliament, can vote while presiding as Speaker, they could as well be able to participate in any debate on the floor over which they are presiding. This is the absurdity into which the Supreme Court ruling leads us,” Mr Mahama wrote on Twitter Thursday.
Earlier he had described the ruling as shocking but not surprising.
“A unanimous 7-0? Shocking but not surprising. An unfortunate interpretation for convenience that sets a dangerous precedent of judicial interference in Parliamentary procedure for the future”.
Meanwhile, President Akufo-Addo has welcomed the decision.
“All organs of the state including me as the head of the executive, are subject to the constitution. There is no body or organ in the Ghanaian state that is above the laws of the land. To suggest that Parliament should operate without interference is to advocate for the very matter we have tried to avoid, the concentration of power. We have had that experience before and don’t want that.
“As far as I can see it, and I think the Supreme Court has confirmed it, the matters involved in this are open and shut, they are black and white. There can be no dispute about the issues that the gentleman took to the Supreme Court,” President Akufo-Addo said during interaction with the media on Thursday.
The apex court on Wednesday 9th March 2022 ruled that the Deputy Speaker when presiding can exercise a vote contrary to Standing Order 13 of Parliament.
The contentious issue was whether a Deputy Speaker of Parliament presiding over proceedings can vote or should be counted as part of the quorum.
The panel chaired by Justice Jones Dotse also said the approval of the budget was valid.
Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/103.5FM
