E-levy fight: I'm not responsible for the commotion in Parliament — Bagbin
Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin has denied reports that, he was responsible for all the commotion that characterised the debate on the 2022 Budget on Monday night.
The Majority Leader in Parliament, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu has blamed the Speaker of Parliament for the chaos in the august house during the passage of the e-levy under the certificate of urgency.
Speaking to the press on Thursday, the Suame MP stated, “we are where we are because in my view of the genesis of the presentation of this Budget, the day when this Budget came to be presented, we were in the chamber and we all saw that after the Finance Minister had walked in, we had to be at the Speaker’s office for close to 1 hour. We were not coming out.
“Why weren’t we coming out? We were not coming out because we had a Speaker who told the Finance Minister that because he had not given Parliament an amount of 1.72 billion, that he the Speaker has requested the Finance Minister to give to Parliament, he the Speaker was going to ensure that the Budget was rejected. That is what happened that day.”
But, addressing a forum of former Parliamentarians held at his behest on Thursday, December 23, 2022, the Speaker of Parliament has rubbished Majority Leaders' claim.
According to him, he was doing all he can to get government’s programmes and policies implemented in the interest of all.
“I keep on saying that I conform to transform. . .and so what I am doing is to do all I can to support government to implement its agenda but not at the expense of the values and principles of democracy,” Mr Bagbin stated.
The forum brought together former Legislators to discuss issues relating to their welfare and how the former lawmakers can contribute towards deepening Ghana’s parliamentary democracy.
Reacting to the allegation that he was responsible for the commotion in the august house on Monday Night, Mr Bagbin explained “I can give you a copy of my closing remarks which when I was leaving, I pass through my usher to give to them that, it was after 10 in the night and I had to go and take a rest because you delayed in sitting. I had to compel the house to sit after 2, and I presided and I said let’s discuss e-levy, you said no, running the order of business, I kept on varying, we did about six important items, approving other loans until I had to hand over to the first deputy speaker”.
“But now they say I refused to preside and that is why some numbers were not in the house, am not a chief whip of any party, I am not entitle to bring members to the house that is not my duty. I am to preside and apply the rules and I have applied them fairly according to my understanding through literature and experience”, he added.