The NPP majority and the NDC minority blame each other for the lack of quorum in Parliament

[ad_1]

On Wednesday, the parliamentary majority of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the minority of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) accused each other of not having reached the quorum necessary to conduct the business of the House.

Mr. Andrew Amoako Asiamah, the First Deputy Speaker, Speaker, had to adjourn the House until Thursday, July 19, when Mr. Rockson-Nelson Etse Kwami Dafeamekpor, NDC MP for South Dayi, raised the issue of lack of quorum for the Chamber to conduct business.

Immediately after the adjournment of the House by the First Deputy Speaker, Dr. Cassiel Ato Baah Forson, the Minority, and Mr. Frank Annor-Dompreh, the Chief Majority Whip, held separate press conferences to speak to the media, blaming each other for the lack of a quorum to allow the House to conduct its business.

Dr Forson noted that the NPP majority has 137 sitting MPs and with the sole independent MP included it has 138 members.

He said that with 138 members, the NPP majority did not need the NDC minority to constitute a quorum for the House to conduct its business.

He alleged that most NPP majority MPs had given up House business to run their campaigns.

“…So, we urge them, to the extent that they are persecuting our members (in the courts), they should step off the field and come and pursue the business of the House.”

He said that from the legislature of 275 chambers, they only need 92 deputies to carry out their activities.

He noted that his side of the House would not announce their strategies but that all options were on the table.

On his part, Mr. Frank Annoh-Dompreh, the Majority Leader and NPP MP for Nsawam-Adoagyiri, accused the NDC minority of abandoning House business.

He said he wondered why minority members of the House would not participate in House business in the House, when they actively participate in House committee meetings.

He called on the minority to bring Ghana to the fore by participating in House business in the House.

Mr. Kwame Governs Agbodza, Minority Chief Whip and NDC MP for Adaklu, said the inability of Parliament to carry out its business had nothing to do with the NDC minority.

He alleged that they could not do business in the House on Wednesday July 19 because only 26 majority MPs were in the House.

He further called on majority MPs to take House business seriously.

Source: GNA

[ad_2]