Dramatic voting in Parliament

Accra, March 3, GNA - Parliament on Thursday rejected the motion for the approval of the reconstituted nominations of eight of its members to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Parliament till September 2005.

By a vote of 44 against and 34 for, the motion was rejected and the Leadership of the House was tasked to review the nominations and present it to the House next week for deliberations.

Members of both sides were divided on whether to approve the names or to reject them.

When the Speaker asked that those in favour of the motion should rise to be counted, the Leaders of both the Majority and the Minority got up but realised that they could not get the support of all their members.

They then beckoned to their colleagues to get up and be counted but the majority of them from both sides refused and in the end those against the motion from both sides won the count.

Those against the motion were of the view that Mr Stephen Kwaku Manu-Balado, NPP-Ahafo Ano South, should have been included in the list of nominees since his term at the ECOWAS Parliament ends in September 2005.

The names of the reconstituted members were: Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, Leader; Mr Kwadwo Adjei-Darko; Mr David Apasera; Mrs Elizabeth Sackey and Mr Ken Ohene-Agyapong.

The others were Mr Kenneth Dzirasah; Ms Alice Teni Boon and Mr Likpalimor Kwajo Tawiah.

Meanwhile the House unanimously approved five members of the House to represent Ghana at the Pan-African Parliament in accordance with Article 17 of the Constitutive Act of the African Union and Article 14 of the Abuja Treaty.

The members are Mr Abraham Ossei-Aidooh, Leader; Alhaji Malik Al-hassan Yakubu; Ms Josephine Hilda Addoh; Mr Edward K. Adjaho and Mr John Dramani Mahama.