Members of the Minority in Parliament refrained from taking part in discussions on the Floor of Parliament despite being present, in a sit-down protest on Wednesday.
Members of the Minority only asked three questions but refused to comment on any other business in the House.
Duke Opoku also reported that they did not participate in a Finance Committee report that was discussed thereafter.
He added that they also did not second any motion on the Floor including on the adjournment of the House when the proposal was made by the Majority Leader, Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu.
The Minority staged a walkout in Parliament on Tuesday when the ‘cash for seat’ investigative report was being debated in Parliament, which they believe reflected only the views of the Majority side on the committee.
Explaining the rationale of their action to Duke Mensah Opoku, Deputy Minority Leader, James Klutse Avedzi said they are doing so because they feel that the Majority considers their views as “irrelevant.”
“The Majority thinks that the views of the Minority are not relevant. That is why the views of the minority members on the committee were rejected by the chairman of the committee and he did not incorporate the views of the Minority in that report. So the report that came is not the committee’s report, it is the majority members on the committee’s report. If they had accommodated the views of the minority then we could have said it is the committee’s report.”
When asked when the Minority will end their protest, Mr. Avedzi said “we don’t have a termination point” but he assured that they will always be present for sittings.
“We will only participate when the Majority considers our views as relevant. They think that Ghana belongs to them, they think that Parliament belongs to them and that they can work without the Minority. That is why for the first time in the history of this parliament, a witness who appeared before a committee was given the opportunity to debate that report on the floor. Minister for trade and industry and industry who is a witness, who appeared before the committee was contributing to the debate yesterday, has it ever happened before?”
We only observed
Meanwhile, Majority Leader, Osei Kyei Mensah has said the reasons adduced by the Minority to back their actions are uncalled for.
He said the Majority members only observed what the Minority did but “we were not told officially.”
“…Yesterday I’m told they said I used hard language. I related to some people having acted dishonorably and dishonestly and I will repeat same anytime giving the sequence of event. I’m not saying that, that person is eternally or chronically dishonest, I’ve not said so. I’ve said that, that conduct is a conduct that could be described as dishonest and I insist on that. The rules are clear. The rules provide for the committee chairmen to write a report. Repeatedly they have not followed the rules,” he said
