Parliament adjourns prematurely over the lack of Quorum for Public Business

Parliament on Friday failed to vote on a motion to adopt the Report of the Finance Committee on the Annual Report on the Collection and Utilisation of the African Union Import Levy for the 2020 Fiscal Year as a result of the lack of quorum.

The Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament Andrew Asiamah Amoako who was then presiding initiated moves for the House to engage in public business after a debate on the Business Statement for the following week.

First Deputy Minority Whip and Member of Parliament (MP) for Banda, Ahmed Ibrahim drew the attention of the House to the fact that by his reckoning, the Members in the House did not exceed 91, which fell below the number required for business to commence.

Standing Order 48 (1) of Parliament states that the presence of at least one-third of all the Members of Parliament, besides the person presiding, shall be necessary to constitute a quorum of the House.

The Deputy Majority Leader Alexander Afenyo insisted that business continues for at least ten minutes to ostensibly enable MPs observing proceedings from their offices as a result of the Covid-19 protocols resume their seats in the legislative chamber,

Kweku Kwarteng, the Chairman of the Finance Committee subsequently moved the motion for the adoption of the Report which was subsequently seconded and debated but the Deputy Speaker had no luxury to put the question to vote as another constitutional issue was raised.

The Deputy Minority Leader James Klutse Avedzi drew the Speaker’s attention to Article 104 of the 1992 Constitution which states that matters in Parliament shall be determined by the votes of the Majority of Members present and voting, with at least half of all the Members of Parliament present.

An attempt by the Deputy Majority Leader to call for a head count was aborted as Minority NDC Members of Parliament began exiting the parliamentary Chamber as counting was ongoing while a visibly worried Second Deputy Speaker brought proceeding to a close, thus putting the vote on hold.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Roads and Highways, Kwesi-Amoako Atta was in the the House to answer ten constituency-specific questions in respect of the bad and deplorable conditions of roads in those constituencies and plans the Ministry has to award them on contrast.

The constituencies are Adentan, Evalue-Ajomoro-Gwira, Yendi, Nalerigu/Gambaga, Afram Plains South, Builsa South, Wa Central and Prestea/Huni-Valley.