Former president John Mahama has said the Supreme Court’s declaration that Deputy Speakers can be counted and vote on issues while presiding is creating problems in Parliament.
Describing the decision as absurd, the former president argues the judges who delivered the ruling do not understand the conventions of Parliament.
“They went to the Supreme Court and went and got a verdict that says the Deputy Speakers presiding have the right to vote, you know, it’s the most absurd decision,” Mahama told members of the NDC in the US over the weekend.
“And it was 7-0 again unanimous and I don’t think that the judges understand the convention in Parliament. You know, in most motions we carry in Parliament the first vote is a voice vote, and so the Speaker puts the question as many are in favour say I and as many as are against say no.
“…Let assume that he comes from that party, it means that he must take part in the voice vote, so I am presiding and then I put the question, as many as are in favour say I, then I shout ‘I’ with my party, as many as are in favour again say no, and then I listen to the nos.
“How can you give an impartial verdict, it’s like a referee in your own match, referee and player at the same time, but there are many other things that will create a problem, and already we are beginning to see it with the quorum issues and all that….”
GhanaFeed.com