The Minority Leader in Parliament, Haruna Iddrisu has criticised the Supreme Court’s ruling that sets aside portions of Parliament's standing orders.
Speaking on the Joy FM’s Midday News on Wednesday, he said the ruling is a travesty of parliamentary justice.
"This ruling of the Supreme Court, we are not surprised, but we are utterly disappointed in the Supreme Court which is determined to support a struggling President with an ailing economy. This ruling of the Supreme Court can as best be described as judicial support for e-levy...to set aside Parliament standing orders, is a serious travesty of parliamentary justice," he said.
According to him, the Supreme Court's ruling in respect of the ability of the Deputy Speaker to participate in voting while presiding over proceedings of the House as, "a repugnant and preposterous ruling."
"Article 110 provides that Parliament shall regulate its procedures by standing orders. How can they set that aside and particularly when the Supreme Court again in this bizarre ruling is seeking to provide two interpretations to the quorum of Parliament. A quorum of Parliament as provided for in Article 2 of the 1992 Constitution and a different quorum for Parliament in the Article 104 of the Constitution.”
“Setting aside time tested Parliamentary democratic practice when it is known practice everywhere in the world, that a person presiding shall have no original nor casting vote?” he asked.
Mr Iddrisu insisted that the Deputy Speaker cannot hold the seat as a Member of Parliament when presiding.
“Everywhere in the world, the vote of the presiding officer is discounted either as Speaker or Deputy Speaker in accordance to standing order 13. Can you ask yourself this question, assuming the First Deputy Speaker is presiding and the Second Deputy Speaker is not immediately available, how is he going to vote and come back to preside and continue to preside? I leave that to the judgment of the Ghanaian people.”
He told, anchor, Ernest Manu during the interview that, “be assured that we will fight e-levy with our numbers that the Ghanaian people gave us in the 2020 election.
Mr. Iddrisu said, “We know of efforts to use the Court to tilt the balance of power, but we will fight on."
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