Why Speaker Rev. Prof. Aaron Mike Oquaye decided to suspend Parliament instead of the normal Recess – Lawyer Godwin Edudzi Tamekloe
Yesterday, we saw the Minority leader, the Hon Haruna Iddrisu insist that suspension of Parliament in the manner communicated by Speaker Oquaye is patently unconstitutional and against the standing orders of the House.
Speaker Oquaye claims that he has communicated the idea of suspension through Hon Doyoe and that she is supposed to inform Hon Haruna Iddrisu about the decision.
It is interesting to note that Speaker Oquaye couldn’t directly speak to Hon Haruna Iddrisu about the decision to suspend Parliament and not the normal recess.
What are the legal implications of the two processes of curtailing parliamentary sessions?
If Parliament had gone on the normal recess, they should be coming back around 28th May, 2020. Almost two months on recess.
With our current constitutional arrangements, the Speaker can recall Parliament during the recess with 14 days notice. Or a certain number of MPS can have Parliament recalled.
The problem with this kind of recall is that there are strict constitutional barriers to overcome.
So Speaker Oquaye appears to have connived with the Majority leader, Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu to circumvent this constitutional arrangements with this novel SUSPENSION.
With Parliament suspended, the Speaker can recall Parliament at anytime without going through the strictures of the Constitution.
The reason is very simple and sinister.
Jean Mensa appears to have indicated to Osei Kyei-Mensa-Bonsu that they want to start the mass registration on May 18,2020.
Now if Parliament returns based on the normal recess on May 28th would have meant that the Constitutional Instrument would be maturing in June, thereby pushing the registration beyond June.
Because Jean Mensa says she needs 43 days for the compilation of new register.
Starting a new voters register by June, would put the entire election calendar off balance.
Why is Nana Addo and his Minister of Re-election, Jean Mensa determined to have a new register?
Jean Mensah has already signed a contract with Thales Digital and their local partner, Rhama Company Limited for $71m exclusive of taxes to supply 6000 BVRs and 80000 BVDs.
If she decides to abrogate things now, the EC will be paying judgment debt.
Nana Addo on the other hand, needs a new register.
He can’t trust the register that brought him to power.
He needs to have a registration process that will allow him to suppress votes in opposition strongholds.
Jean Mensa was specifically instructed to amend CI 91 by deleting the drivers license and the existing voters card as proof of identification.
Look Jean Mensa as EC Chairperson supervised the most recent limited registration.
Is she saying that the cards that were given by her are not valid for the purposes of identification?
Thales Digital has subcontracted the actual manufacturing of the BVRS to a different company, that company has indicated that they need a month to manufacture the 6000 BVRs.
So with or without coronavirus, there was no way, Jean Mensa could have started the registration by 18th April.
The amendment to CI 91 was done in a very incompetent manner.
The amendment failed or neglected to amend the schedule but she managed to get Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu and the Attorney General to have it laid without the usual pre-laying consultations.
The pre-laying consultations would have brought out the defects but she was determined to please Nana Addo.
Only the amendment has suffered two major technical knockouts.
It appears nature has turned against Nana Addo and his Minister of Re-election, Jean Mensa.
Happy Palm Sunday.
Source: Ohenenana Obonti Krow
