First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Joseph Osei-Owusu, has indicated that nothing stops him from taking a break from acting as Speaker to vote.

His last attempt to vote on the E-levy when he acted as Speaker led to violence in Parliament on Monday, December 20, 2021.

The incident led to the adjournment of proceedings and cut short any attempt to approve or reject the E-levy Bill.

Speaking in an interview on Newsfile on Saturday, February 26, the Bekwai MP insisted he reserves the right to step aside while presiding to cast his ballot.

“The controversy that arose at that time was that when voting was ongoing, I invited the Second Deputy Speaker to take over from me so I can step out and vote. That is where they challenged, and that one my position is clear.

“I can always step down and vote. Indeed, in 2021, I think I popped the question, and the voice vote was challenged, but before we started the headcounts, Mr Speaker came and relieved me, and I went to vote. So, it is not new,” he said.

The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, has expressed dissatisfaction with First Deputy Speaker, Joseph Osei-Owusu, for dismissing a motion to constitute a bipartisan committee to probe into government’s Covid-19 expenditure.

Speaking on the floor of the House on Wednesday, Mr Bagbin said that Mr Osei-Owusu’s decision to overrule his ruling over the matter, particularly when he had admitted the motion is unconstitutional, illegal and offensive.

He described recent happenings as the First Deputy Speaker’s penchant to overturn his rulings.

He then threatened to get recalcitrant Members of Parliament arrested for disrupting proceedings, adding that Parliament is not a place for joking but serious national business.