Veteran journalist, Abdul Malik Kweku Baako, said per the behaviors exhibited by Members of the Eighth Parliament, they do not qualify for the 'Honorable" title.
Speaking on JoyNews on Saturday, November 4, he said the way the National Democratic Congress (NDC) caucus and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) caucus handle issues concerning the approval of the 2022 budget statement in Parliament is dishonorable.
He said although people address Ghanaian Parliamentarians as Honourables, their undiplomatic actions in the chamber make them wonder if they really deserve the title.
"Members of Parliament ought not to behave that way. They just don't have the luxury of an alternative. They are supposed to be honorable members of Parliament. Sometimes we sit on radio and we call them honorable. We are not even supposed to call them so in terms of the use of the title in the real sense of the word. They have to use it in the House but we've all extended it. We're using it because of a certain level of respect we have for the House and members of the House. When you behave this way, it's unacceptable. It's condemnable," he said.
Background
The House of Parliament approved the budget statement for 2022 in the absence of the Minority caucus on Tuesday, December 1, 2021.
Even though the budget was already rejected on Friday, November 26 by the Minority Caucus after the Majority Caucus had staged a walk-out, it was approved by the Majority.
The First Deputy Speaker, Joseph Osei Owusu, who presided over the meeting said the Speaker, Alban Bagbin, erred when he rejected the budget in favour of the Minority.
On Friday, November 26, the Minority Caucus, in a parliamentary meeting presided over by the Speaker, rejected the budget.
The Minority wanted the Agyapa deals and the e-levy policy in the budget retracted. They also wanted the budget to address the predicament of the victims of the tidal wave.
However, the Majority Caucus, in the absence of the Minority, overturned the previous judgment on the budget and approved it.
These two developments have rendered Ghanaians confused as they wonder if Parliament has adopted a double-track system.
On Wednesday, December 1, the Leaser of the NDC caucus, Inusah Iddrisu, moved a motion to reverse the approval of the budget.
According to him, the First Deputy Speaker while presiding over the sitting on Tuesday did not have a voting right and so the ruling was a "constitutional nullity."
In an attempt to justify the approval of the 2022 budget statement, the First Deputy Speaker, Joe Wise said a Deputy Speaker is not a Speaker.
According to him the argument on the number of Parliamentarians present during the budget's approval on Tuesday, November 30 is not convincing because he has a voting right.
“I am a member of Parliament, the Second Deputy Speaker is a Member of Parliament
Our work is to assist the Speaker. Any attempt to read and interpret the constitution to include Deputy Speakers is a misreading of the constitution, he said.
He explained that Deputy Speakers have voting right in Parliament during decision-taking and so he had the right to vote while presiding over the house yesterday.
“When the Speaker is not around either of us can preside so like any other member. That member does not lose his right of being a member of the House.”
The Deputy Speaker overruled the motion and this sparked an outburst between the two caucuses.
The Minority caucus is of the view that the First Deputy Speaker cannot make a judgment in the Chamber since he said he is not a Speaker.
However, the Deputy Speaker said despite the controversies, democracy is still the best.
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