Dr Obed Asamoah, a former Attorney General and Minister of Justice in the Rawlings Administration has urged both sides of Parliament to come to a consensus and pass the 2022 Budget Statement.
On Tuesday (30 November 2021) a sitting of Parliament made up mainly of the members of the Majority side, quashed the earlier rejection of the government’s economic policy for 2022 and voted to approve the budget.
The Minority on Wednesday (1 December 2021) also moved a motion for the House to reverse its decision of Tuesday (30 November) that approved of the 2022 Budget.
Speaking to Beatrice Adu on The Big Bulletin, Asamoah said without a compromise from both parties to approve the budget, one must seek interpretation of the law from the Supreme Court to settle the issue.
“They have to sit down and compromise. If they don’t compromise, then they go to court. But if they can compromise, then you don’t have to go to court because the court is the last resort.
“When there’s a dispute which the parties cannot settle, then, of course, you must go to court. And dispute of this nature, because of the importance, the court will sit and resolve the matter very quickly,” he stated.
Kwame Anyimadu-Antwi, chairman of the Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee agreed with the former attorney general to seek interpretation at the Supreme Court regarding the happenings in Parliament.
“I really agree with him (Obed Asamoah) if there were time, we need to go to the Supreme Court for the interpretation of this. Because I see what is in article 104 and 109 of our standing orders are very clear,” he stated.
“Ready for a consensus”
However, Anyimadu-Antwi said the government is ready to reach a consensus with the Minority side of Parliament to fast track the approval of the 2022 budget.
He noted that “we’re prepared to actually sit down and look at the way forward and this drama must be stopped. But that does not mean that a minority must dictate the pace to ask in parliament that we want this and if you don’t do this, we’ll come to parliament and destruct the process.”
Nicholas Brown
Asaase Radio 99.5 – tune in or log on to broadcasts online
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