Accra-Ghana, July 20, GNA – Parliament on Thursday adjourned proceedings to Friday due to the lack of quorum for decision-making.
The House was going through the consideration stage of the UNESCO Bill, when Mr Alhassan Sayibu Suhuyini, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament (MP) for Tamale North, raised the issue of decision-making quorum.
He reiterated that the number of MPs in the Chamber did not meet the constitutional requirement of half of the House to be present for decision-making, and therefore demanded from the Speaker that a head count be carried out.
The 1992 Constitution states that, “Except as otherwise provided in this Constitution, matters in Parliament shall be determined by the votes of the majority of members present and voting, with at least half of all the members of Parliament present.”
When Mr Joseph Osei-Owusu, the First Deputy Speaker, presiding, asked for a head count, there were 73 Members of the House present in the Chamber.
The breakdown was 46 MPs from the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) and 27 from the opposition NDC.
Mr Osei-Owusu said the figures clearly showed that they didn’t have the numbers to take a decision.
“The number of MPs present at this time, 73, we can’t take a decision. I am wondering how tomorrow or Monday we can justify why 212 of us were present but we cannot take a decision. These matters are critical, we should be very careful.”
He recalled that on Wednesday, July 19, proceedings of the House had to be brought to a close because there was no quorum; saying “yet votes and proceedings says 201 of us were present, how you can justify the two?”
The First Deputy Speaker subsequently adjourned sitting to Friday, July 21 at 1000 hours.
Prior to the adjournment, Mr Alhaji Mohammed Mubarak Muntaka, the NDC MP for Asawase urged the Leadership of both the Majority and the Minority to engage each other to ensure that the business of the House was carried out smoothly.
Mr Frank Annoh-Dompreh, the Majority Chief Whip and NPP MP for Nsawam-Adoagyiri, said there was the need for the leadership of the House to engage the Speaker to enable them to come to a conclusion on the matter of attendance in the House.
He noted that aside being in the Chamber of the House, there were occasions where Members, after logging in, had to leave the Chamber to attend Committee Meetings within the precinct of the House.
Mr Kwame Governs Agbodza, the Minority Chief Whip and NDC MP for Adaklu, said although at conclave, leadership agreed on the agenda for the House, they had no control over attendance of the House.
