body-container-line-1

Majority corners minority over November 7 date

By MyJoyOnline
Politics Majority corners minority over November 7 date
JUN 29, 2016 LISTEN

The Majority in Ghana’s legislature has initiated a process to lobby the minority New Patriotic Party (NPP) legislators to back the instrument seeking to amend the 1992 Constitution to change the election date to November.

Vice Chairman of Parliament’s Legal and Constitutional Committee, George Loh, said the NPP legislators have thus far not opposed the proposed November 7 date.

“Thankfully I haven’t heard from the minority saying that they don’t like the November 7,” he said.

The Attorney-General laid the act seeking to amend the December 7 date in the 1992 Constitution to first Monday in November before Parliament on Tuesday, June 28.

This was a prelude to processes leading to the change in date for the 2016 presidential and parliamentary elections in the country.

Conforming to Article 291 (2) of the Constitution, the Speaker of Parliament Rt. Hon. Edward Doe Adjaho referred the Bill to the Council of State for its advise.

Article 291(2) states: “the Speaker shall, after the first reading of the bill in Parliament; refer it to the Council of State for consideration and advice and the Council of State shall render advice on the bill within (30) thirty days after receiving it.”

Reacting to a question about the preparedness of the NPP legislators to back the date, Mr Loh explained he could not tell if the NPP MPs have their reservations but added: “if the posture is anything to go by then I think that we will get the number.”

Even though he acknowledged the unpredictability of the NPP MPs, the MP for North Dayi said the legislature “is a house of consensus and I am sure when it becomes extremely necessary in the interest of Ghana, we will build the consensus.”

He was confident the amendment process will go through without hiccups, noting, “it may come with some hurdle to cross because the minority may want to drag their feet.”

Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com | Austin Brakopowers | Email: [email protected]

body-container-line