Ayensuano’s former lawmaker, Samuel Aypay, said the National Assembly Speaker’s decision to prorogue parliament on Wednesday, March 20, 2024, is unconstitutional.
The former lawmaker said the 1992 Constitution and Parliamentary Standing Orders do not give Speaker Alban Bagbin the authority to carry out the March 20 prorogation.
talk big issue upon City FM/City TVArpay explained the steps needed to prorogue Parliament, but the Speaker ignored them in his ruling, he said.
“By the Constitution and the Standing Orders, the Speaker does not have the power to prorogue Parliament for death. The Standing Orders are clear about that. There must be a motion and a submission on the motion, and if the motion is defeated, A counter motion will be tabled and a vote will be taken on the motion. Members of Parliament will vote to adjourn Parliament, but I have yet to see any lawyer or member of Parliament embarrass me on this matter.”
He also accused the speaker of trying to assume powers not granted to him by the constitution.
“No Speaker of Parliament can just wake up and adjourn or recall Parliament; the Speaker follows the Business Committee report that sets out how Parliament should operate. You can’t simply recall Congress, so the current speaker is giving himself certain powers that he doesn’t have.”
On May 3, a majority group petitioned the Speaker to urgently reconvene the House of Representatives to address important government business items, including the adoption of the Appointments Committee’s 34th Report and a motion for additional financing.
The majority also called for consideration of a “request for an additional financing agreement between the GoG and IDA of US$150 million to finance the ongoing Greater Accra Resilience and Integrated Development (GARID) project.” He called for Congress to be recalled. Tax credits are available for selected beneficiaries under the 1D1F program. ”
Speaker Bagbin granted the petition and Parliament reconvened on Friday, May 17, 2024.
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