Member of the communication team for the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Haruna Amaliba, has stated that the minority’s walk-out during the e-levy vote was one of the wisest decisions on the floor of Parliament.
According to him, both the majority and the minority caucuses had equal representatives with 136 as Hon. Adwoa Safo and Hon. Ebenezer Kojo Kum were absent on the majority’s side, while the embattled Hon. Quayson was absent on the minority’s side.
In an interview with Don Kwabena Prah on Happy98.9 FM’s ‘Epa Hoa Daben’ political talk show, he said, “Attendance in the house as we’re told was 137 on the side of the minority and 136 on the side of the majority but here was the challenge. The Hon. Quayson was supposed to be in Parliament that day because of his appeal court hearing. Also given the earlier judgement from the High Court of Cape Coast that he can no longer hold himself as an MP, Hon. Quayson could not have come to the floor because the minority had different discussion and considerations about it to avoid any further hassles. ‘…So, his absence left the Minority at 136 as the NPP also had with the absence of Hon. Adwoa Safo and the chieftaincy minister who is apparently sick. There was also a claim he was pulled to Parliament through an ambulance which we saw. I feel so disgusted if that is where our politics has gotten to. Whatever be the case, the NDC side had 136 and NPP had 136.”
Haruna Amaliba indicated that it was brilliant on the side of the minority to walk out per the previous ruling by the Supreme Court on the Justice Abdulai vrs Attorney General’s case. He further applauded the Minority as they abandoned the chamber at the smear of the Majority’s impending ambush.
He added, “Now the motion was moved, a debate was done and then finally there was supposed to be a vote. The Minority thought that if truly the Chieftaincy Minister was in the ambulance and was called to vote it would have been 137 against 136, then by the recent Supreme Court ruling on the Justice Abdulai vrs the Attorney General, then the minority are likely to lose by a vote. Given the composition or the quorum according to article 104 (1) in pursuant of the Justice Abudlai and the Attorney General’s ruling, the presence of the Minority will give the majority side the needed quorum. They’ll meet the requirements of a quorum and make a decision and that possibly will stand. If that is the case we would walk out and deny them the quorum to take a decision on the floor of Parliament according to the court’s interpretation. I think that was the best approach the Minority could have done at that material time and I applaud them for that.”
Meanwhile, the Minority have moved the passage of the e-levy to the Supreme Court challenging its constitutionalism.
By: Jude Tackie