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The New Patriotic Party (NPP) branch in the United Kingdom has condemned actions of the minority parliamentarians during the final voting of the controversial E-Levy on Monday, December 20, 2021.
It was a chaotic scene and an eyesore in Parliament on Monday when the parliamentarians resorted to fighting each other while the final voting on the E-levy was about to start.
This was after the sit-in Speaker, Joseph Osei-Owusu, had announced that a division will be followed to approve the Bill, presented under a certificate of urgency, and will also vote in his capacity as a Member of Parliament.[ads2]
This provoked the minority side , who raised red flags about his decision to vote after presiding over the night’s proceedings.
The Minority MPs moved to the front of the dais, issuing threats at the Bekwai MP.
The actions of the Minority also provoked the Majority who agitated.
To be able to vote, Mr Osei-Owusu immediately handed the presiding role to the Second Deputy Speaker, Andrew Amoako Asiamah, and the fight broke out.[ads3]
But the NPP branch in UK has applauded the actions of the Majority MPs “for not allowing the NDC MPs to snatch the Speaker’s seat, to stop both the 1st and the 2nd Deputy Speakers from voting on the very sensitive E-Levy issue presented before parliament.”
Read below statement from the NPP UK branch
Press Release
Communications Directorate*
NPP UK
United Kingdom
21/12/2021
Brawl in Parliament. We commend the actions of our NPP MPs in Parliament, and condemn the actions of the Speaker of Parliament and the NDC MPs.
In as much as legislative violence has been a feature of many legislative houses globally, it’s a relatively new feature in Ghana’s parliament house. This feature has more or less been a tool for the opposition NDC parliamentarians to use to disrupt business in the house, on sensing a possible defeat in voting on issues. We all recall the famous kicking of ballot boxes not long ago on the election of the Speaker of the House.[ads4]
While we do not support violence, we commend the actions of the NPP MPs for not allowing the NDC MPs to snatch the Speaker’s seat, to stop both the 1st and the 2nd Deputy Speakers from voting on the very sensitive E-Levy issue presented before parliament. While we agree the issue is one that has divided many, we condemn fully the actions of some of the NDC MPs that led to the brawl and the alleged use of a blade to slash the Minister for Sports, Hon Mustapha Ussif. A barbaric act in all measure and a behaviour not fit for an MP.
We also struggle to understand why the Rt. Hon Albert Bagbin, Speaker of Parliament left the chambers with his where about unknown getting to the time of voting, under the pretence of sicknesses as reported later. Why did the Rt. Hon Speaker not adjourned proceedings? Or absent himself from proceeding of the day?
We believe this was a planned attempt by the minority NDC caucus to reduce the number of voting MPs on the NPP majority side on this very issue that bothers on the finances of the State. This is regrettable and we condemn this action fully. We call on the relevant parliamentary authority to investigate this further.
The people of Ghana must not be taken for granted by legislatures at any cost, and while the world continue to watch Ghana, we in the NPP UK will continue to do same and act in our democratic right, and not only as spectators.
Long Live Ghana
Long Live Democracy
….Signed….
Nana Ansah Obofour- Director of Communications, NPP UK (07943972532)
Kwaku Bimpeh-Deputy Director of Communications, NPP UK (07949204396)
Barbara Osei-Wusu-Deputy Director of Communications, NP UK (07533347762)[ads5]
