The Minority in Parliament has served notice that it will challenge the approval of the electronic levy by Parliament at the Supreme Court.
According to them, the Majority did not have a quorum to legally passed bill hence it should be treated as null and void.
Speaking to the press after the controversial bill was passed, the Minority Leader Haruna Iddrisu said the New Patriotic Party (NPP) members in the house was not the 138 needed to pass the bill.
“During the consideration stage, you (Majority caucus) did not have half of members of Parliament present per the Supreme Court ruling. And during the third reading, you did not have more than half of the members of parliament present and voting. Therefore, those of you who are celebrating with them that E-Levy has been passed, your excitement will be short-lived.
“I’m using 137 because conspicuously, everybody in the world and Ghana knows the Honourable Adwoa Safo was not present and, therefore, you had 137”, he computed.
Additionally, he noted, “We know that there was an ambulance within the precincts of parliament but the person who is purported to have been in the ambulance was not present in the chamber for the purpose of exercising a vote. Therefore, every decision that they took with 136 flies against the ruling of the Supreme Court”.
“And for emphasis, I’m going to read page 12 of the Supreme Court ruling: There is a second quorum provision spelt out in article 104(1). This provision applies specifically and exclusively to voting to determine a matter in parliament. Article 104(1) provides as follows: ‘Except as otherwise provided in this Constitution, matters in parliament shall be determined by the votes of the majority of members present and voting with, at least, half of all the members of parliament present’”.
Mr Iddrisu noted: “During the second reading, you did not have half of the MPs present. During the consideration stage, you did not have half of MPs present per the Supreme Court ruling. And, during the third reading, you did not have more than half of the MPs present and voting”.
Iddrisu urged President Akufo-Addo to withdraw the E-Levy Bill from the House because, he said, the Minority will not have anything to do with the controversial tariff.
Source: Pulse Ghana