The former Majority Leader in Ghana’s Parliament, Felix Owusu-Adjapong has attributed the recent stand off in Parliament over the passage of the E-Levy bill to MPs pursuing their parochial interest.
MPs shouted at each other and engaged in an open brawl in Parliament on Monday evening (20 December) as the First Deputy Speaker, Joseph Osei-Owusu, vacated his seat to enable him also to cast a vote to pass the controversial E-Levy under a certificate of urgency.
Speaking on The Asaase Breakfast Show on Monday (31 January), Owusu-Adjapong urged Members of Parliament to prioritise the interest of the nation.
“First let’s accept that this is not the first time we are having problems with our Parliament. The third Parliament had NPP with 100 MPs, NDC had 92, there were eight other independent or small parties, so it is not so different from what we are seeing now.
“That is why when we had the first Dagbon vote, the government lost even though they had 98 votes and I think the NDC had about 50 something votes … It lost and they had to regroup and come back with a state of emergencies,” he told the host Kwaku Nhyira-Addo.
Agyapong added: “In all cases, I think we are giving so much credit to this. That there is a hung Parliament, the problem we have is that people are not prepared to think about the country first, now people are thinking about themselves, that is why we are having this hung parliament.”
Speaking on the same programme, Inusah Fuseini, a former MP for Tamale Central, however, disagreed, and rather called for a unique approach in dealing with issues in the legislator.
“The problem that we have today is unlike the problem that is being alluded to by Felix Adjapong in that Parliament and in the succeeding Parliament, there was always a clear majority.
“This is not the situation we find ourselves. In this situation the balance of power is the independent member who has decided to sit with the majority,” he said.
We’re tired of fighting in Parliament
Frank Annoh-Dompreh, majority chief whip says the Majority in Parliament is tired of fighting the Minority over the passage of the Electronic Transactions Levy (E-Levy).
Annoh-Dompreh said the Majority is ready to make compromises and reach a consensus with the opposition to ensure the E-Levy is passed.
Speaking to Beatrice Adu on the Big Bulletin on Thursday (January 27), he said “I concede that we have also not told our story well. It is with our PR and I concede that absolutely. And as we speak, the town hall meeting and engagements are going on, it’s better late than never.”
“…That’s very important and I hope that we’ll be able to deal with this matter as it were. We’re tired. We are tired of these fights; we’re tired of the fights. So, if there are compromises that have to be made, I know it’ll be made and already I’ve noted that there are more engagements going on. The compromises that have to be made have to be made for the sake of our country,” he stated.
Consensus building
The majority chief whip further indicated that the government has increased its consensus building over the past months and continue to do so.
“I think it is a genuine observation that we need to extend it or make it more inclusive engagements so, it’s important and I have no doubt about it. But it is also a fact that it is a work in progress.
“The minister has not shown any indication that he is done with the engagements yet. civil society groups, religious groups, other interest bodies, and the clergy have also been engaged.”
“…We shouldn’t get the wrong impression that it is only the minority that is raising some concerns, no. I mean, a cross-section of the populace is also raising issues so is more of responding to this broad-based interest groups and basically the people of this country,” he noted.
A make or break?
Annoh-Dompreh said although the government has improved its engagements on the passage of the E-Levy, the government is politically poised to pass the bill with or without consensus.
He said: “Some engagements went on (between Majority and Minority), so we’re hoping that it’ll yield some results ultimately. We (the government) have our destiny in our own hands, that’s what it is.
“We have our destiny in our hands. We reached out, we have to do what is politically expedient for us to get this decision passed and quite a number of them are reasonable. So we’ll keep talking to them (Minority) but we have our plan B.
“You don’t always get consensus. Consensus is not always reached and sometimes you can do all you have to do but you still don’t get consensus.”
“That’s why I said we have our destiny in our hands. Whiles we’re pursuing the consensus building, we’re being guided accordingly, as it were,” he added.
Fred Dzakpata
Asaase Radio 99.5 – tune in or log on to broadcasts online
99.5 in Accra, 90.7 in Ho, 98.5 in Kumasi, 99.7 in Tamale, 89.5 in Tarkwa, and 106.9 in Walewale
Follow us on Twitter: @asaaseradio995
#AsaaseRadio
#TheVoiceofOurLand
