The National Communication Director of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) Yaw Buaben Asamoah has pointed, the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has no legal authority and power to use violence to overturn the standing orders of Parliament.
Mr. Asamoah made the remarks during an exclusive interview with Apexnews-Ghana on Thursday, February 3, 2022.
Responding to opposition critics on President Akufo-Addo’s comment on the controversial E-levy Mr. Asamoah said,
“Is important we appreciate the context within which the debate on the E-levy is happening. Particularly when you said ‘passed’, it refers to the parliamentary process and what the parliamentary process is basically, that the minority once there is a difference of one person, we have a minority and majority”.
“The traditional role of a minority is to ensure that its voice is heard on matters that it doesn’t believe to be passed. So, their duty is to make their voice seriously heard and once their voice is heard, they do not have any power beyond that or to stop a vote physically”. He said
He added: “What you are seeing in parliament is a poor reflection of how parliament is conducting themselves, is not good enough. They are not supposed to use physical force to stop any activity in parliament from going on, but they are supposed to make their voice heard”.
“Now their dispute in Parliament is about Deputy Speaker’s voting, Yes, Deputy Speaker has a status that is different from a speaker himself. Deputy Speakers are sent there as Members of Parliament and part of their privileges is that, they are entitled to vote and therefore, when one is presiding as a Speaker, one has the opportunity to rise at any time under order 13:1. So, when a Deputy Speaker is Presiding, at any time during the debate including the decision time, voting time, as he is sitting in the chair he has no vote. But he can get up from the chair, signal the second Deputy Speaker and then he can go and vote as an MP. Is his right, is the right of the constituency who sent him there”. He Explained
“So, as long as Hon. Joe Owusu is in the chair in the event Speaker Bagbin isn’t there, he can always leave the chair under order 13: 1 of the parliamentary orders and go and vote while the Hon. Andrews Asiama who is the second Deputy Chair takes his place”.
The NDC has no legal authority and power to use violence to overturn the standing orders. So, if the President said the E-levy will be passed, what it means is that, in the context of what parliament does, the E-levy yes should pass and will pass because, in parliament their duty, their authority is to make their point and after that, they should allow the voting rules to continue and if the voting rules continues, the two Deputy Speakers will have a vote. Mr. Asamoah stressed
