The 2024 Budget Statement and Economic Policy has been approved by the Parliament.
The budget which was prudently debated was followed by litigation over the voting method. The Minority, in earlier sittings, called for the budget to be withdrawn based on its numerous taxes and tax reliefs, hoping to succeed via a headcount than the chorus ayes.
In the headcount, a Member of Parliament stood up in recognition of his or her name mentioned by the Clerk of Parliament.
“Honorable members, at the end of the headcount, ayes 138, no’s 136, absent 1. Honorable members the ayes have it. Honorable members, the House has accordingly approved budget statement and economic policy of the government for the year ending 31st December 2024.”
Rt. Hon. Alban Bagbin
Earlier, the House litigated over the methods to be used for the headcount.
It was the stance of the Majority that the votes be counted in blocs of the two sides of the House so that once a caucus voted a particular way, it should be assumed that the total number of seats in the caucus has voted for or against the motion.
“Mr. Speaker, there is no doubt at all about what is contained in our orders. Our orders provide in order 113 (2) that a member may call for a headcount or division if the opinion of the speaker on a voice vote is called. That is what was done by the deputy minority leader. And 113 (4) provides that in the case of a count, Mr. Speaker shall take the votes of the house by calling upon members who support or oppose to is decision successively to rise in their places.
“Mr Speaker so for those who support it and said the eyes have it, now it will be for you to ask who supports the ayes. Ten the ayes will rise to be counted. That is it? Those who are opposed to it, you call for them and they will get up. This is the convention and practice of this house. I am pleading that let’s do what we do always. Let’s do that and we will move on.”
Osei Kyei-Mensah Bonsu
Speaker Resolves To Count Heads
However, the speaker resolved that according to the standing orders of parliament, the headcount was supposed to be taken one after the other Member of Parliament.
The Speaker referred to order 113 (3) in response to the argument raised by the majority leader.
“In the case of an account, Mr. Speaker shall take the vote of the use by calling upon members to support or oppose his decision successively to rise in their places.”
Order 113 (3) of Parliament
Mr Speaker, therefore, stressed that the use of the word successively meant that the members of parliament must be called one after the other.
The majority leader gave up on his stance which made way for the headcount to be taken.
However, the speaker of parliament, Alban Bagbin cautioned against any misrepresentation of events in the house thereafter.
The House agreed that every member would stand up on the mentioning of his or her name from the right side of the speaker was voting for while the left side represented against.
The House will now go on to consider the estimates of the document. Also, the House will make some fine-tuning as agreed to shore up some appropriations as it meets in committees to further discuss the budget.
The Speaker indicated to the House that the House must finish some key bills before proceeding on recess later this month. They included the Affirmative Action and Gender Equality Bill and the Proper Human Rights and Ghanaian Family and Sexual Rights Bill.
