Parliament on Friday approved a provisional budget for the first quarter of the 2009 financial year. The budget worth ¢2.2billion was passed without the anticipated debate that has come to be associated with the reading of the last financial statement by an incumbent government. With the December polls 23 days away, it is not clear which party would take over the reigns of government from next year, giving rise to a controversy whether the provisional budget was necessary. However, the budget was approved in line with the article 180 of the I992 constitution which makes it mandatory for governments to put before parliament a financial statement for the next fiscal year. According to Joy FM’s parliamentary correspondent David Youngs, the motion for the budget was seconded by Hon. P.C Appiah Ofori, to begin proceedings for the debate. Youngs noted, the debate was not quite heated, due to the limited number of MPs on the floor of Parliament, even though the attendance was appreciable as compared to previous sittings. The MPs have been busy lately canvassing for votes for the December polls. Whichever party wins the polls in December would be constrained to work within the provisional budget at least for three months before setting its own priorities. Story by Nathan Gadugah