The Majority Leader has bemoaned the decision by the Minority caucus to boycott parliamentary proceedings in solidarity with some three members who are standing various trials.
Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu said the decision was taken on impulse by the Minority but with the benefit of hindsight it should be rescinded.
The Suame Member of Parliament (MP), however, stressed that the Majority numbers – if fully represented in the House – can allow decisions to be taken even in the absence of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) MPs.
But he said he will be engaging the Minority Leader, Dr Cassiel Ato Baah Forson, before knowing the next step to take.
“I intend to engage my colleague and compatriot, the Minority Leader, on that,” he intimated in an interview with TV3‘s Evelyn Tengmaa on Monday, July 10.
“But if they insist that they wouldn’t attend to the business of Parliament, what else can you do? You need then have to mobilise your numbers to attend to the business of the House.”
The Minority on Thursday, July 6 boycotted parliamentary proceedings following a warning two days earlier to escort Assin North MP James Gyakye Quayson as he appeared before an Accra High Court.
Sitting was suspended as a result of the lack of quorum.
On Tuesday, July 11, the same scenario played out as all the NDC MPs followed Mr Gyakye Quayson to court.
- Parliament suspends proceedings on Day 2 of Minority boycott
But the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs insists his caucus has the numbers to take decisions just like it did with the budget.
“We can take decisions in their absence,” he emphasised. “If we have 138, we can taken any decision that we want.
“When it came to approving the budget when they said they have rejected, we got everybody here, we had 138 and took the decision. Remember we didn’t even move a motion of rescission against the purported decision they said they had taken because their number was not up to one and half of the total membership in the House.”
Source: 3News
