The noisy clamor for attention which engulfs the atmosphere in the classroom of pre-school kids, in dire need of the teacher’s attention, even for a minute, is reminiscent of the desires of legislators in Ghana’s parliament.
Members of parliament have one job, and one job only, but are seemingly failing to deliver on this mandate. But whether for political or personal reasons, one thing is definite, they have no reason to hold an entire nation hostage.
Budgets are a critical aspect of a country’s development, and the attitude of legislators is very crucial in determining whether the country progresses or is at a standstill.
While budgets are habitually approved in Ghana’s system, they are not without a ‘political glitch’ or some drama from either side of the House.
The majority/minority divide most often than not live up to the expectation of causing some form of regressive antics which negatively impacts the outcome of approving budgets.
Whether it is in the interest of the public or not, the very nature of their protest of budget and the lackadaisical approach in dealing with teething problems negatively impacts timelines of government.
Playing hopschotch with the passage of the 2024 budget is not a pleasing experience for citizens who have to deal with the implications of a ‘dying’ economy, whose ‘mess’ has seeped into their personal lives.
Members of the majority side in Parliament are insisting that the 2024 Budget has been passed despite the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin’s reminder to them that the Budget is still before the House and has not been passed.
The Speaker on Thursday, November 30 reaffirmed his stance that the budget is yet to be approved after the Majority Leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu and Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta in a press briefing indicated that it has been passed.
While the contest for truth game persists, some Ghanaians are depending on the outcome of this budget approval debates to finally reach a resolution to live a comfortable life, and this has been heavily chanted by one of the legislators.
Reaching consensus on 2024 budget
Member of parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, condemned the “most reprehensible” behavior of the majority who “runs away from their own 2024 budget”.
With this, he lamented that the majority is in the process running away from other important parliamentary matters such as his urgent “question to the finance minister on why the 2023 Contingency Vote of some GHC533 million is not being utilized to bring urgent relief, resettlement and compensation for VRA-induced flood victims” in his constituency which Ken Ofori-Atta should have responded to according to the Order Paper.
As a result, he has called for the “governance paralysis and intransigence” to end now.
The truth is, if the other essential arm of government, being the legislature is left paralyzed, two features of a country’s worth -both governance and democracy are undermined.
Citizens elect members of parliament for the primary aim of working in their interest. As such, their ability to reconcile conflicting interests remains paramount.
At this moment, and definitely beyond headcount to make a ruling on the 2024 budget, calm deliberation and peaceful reconciliation are the very essence of democracy and democracy works only when these two conditions are fulfilled.
According to the Foundation for Democratic Reforms, while individuals, groups and parties disagree and articulate their points of view, they must not question the motives of their opponents and vilify them. Accepting the genuineness of opponents and trying to persuade them or willing to be persuaded by facts and logic is the essential condition for democratic governance.
Importantly, Ghana needs to pass the budget, and if not, then a resolution must be reached to figure out the next approach. If the legislature cannot engage in civilized debates, laws cannot be made, governance suffers, and democracy is undermined. By implication, the very rationale of having a legislature in the first place is defeated.
Political tantrums have no place when the interest of the citizens is at play.
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