Disagreements in Parliament Are Normal But Must Be Civil – Oppong Nkrumah

Info Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, has urged Members of Parliament particularly the opposition lawmakers to not bodily hinder course of within the Home even when they strongly disagree on a difficulty.

He mentioned MPs are allowed to disagree with the federal government on any subject however they have to commit themselves to a civil, mature means of resolving the disagreements.

He mentioned this whereas answering a query as as to if the fights in Parliament over the E-levy coverage proposal within the 2022 finances will taint Ghana’s picture on the worldwide market, throughout a press convention addressed by the Finance Minister Ken Ofori Atta in Accra on Wednesday January 19.

The Ofoase Ayirebi lawmaker mentioned “I believe colleagues, it’s important to assist us converse some fact to ourselves. Chaos isn’t a manner of resolving disagreements. There’s nothing fallacious with parliamentarians disagreeing on a selected measure on the desk. The rule says that once we disagree we debate to attempt to and persuade each other, we will have conversations and engagements just like the Minister has achieved by out after which, once we end, we topic it to a vote.

“On this nation, on the seventh of December each 4 years, previous to that, we could disagree on who ought to be president, we don’t struggle about it. We permit folks to marketing campaign and debate and in the long run all of us queue up and vote, they rely and take the choice that the place the Majority went is the place Ghana needs to go.

“That manner, chaos doesn’t ensue, worldwide market and everyone else seems to be at us as a civilized, mature Republic.

“It’s the similar factor now we have to do in Parliament. There’s nothing fallacious with a disagreements, there have been numerous disagreements in instances previous, one facet could say I don’t agree, I’m going to stroll out , I do t agree I’m going to abstain, I don’t agree I’m going to vote towards it.

“However to start to bodily hinder the method is one thing all of us collectively should converse towards. It’s not, will you go and beg them, will you go and negotiate, no. We should converse the the reality that bodily obstructing the method , think about any person going to bodily going to hinder voting on the election day on this nation, we are going to agree that that isn’t the precise factor to do. It’s the similar spirit we should convey to bear on this one.

“There’s nothing fallacious disagreeing however we should commit ourselves to undergo a civil, mature course of for resolving that disagreements.”

On Monday December 20 Members of Ghana’s Parliament couldn’t maintain their feelings as some exchanged brawls within the Home simply earlier than the ultimate vote on the controversial Digital Switch Levy Invoice, also referred to as e-levy.

The sit-in Speaker, Joseph Osei-Owusu, had introduced {that a} division could be adopted to approve the Invoice, offered beneath a certificates of urgency, and he was going to vote as effectively in his capability as a Member of Parliament.

That appeared to have provoked the Nationwide Democratic Congress (NDC) members, who questioned his resolution to vote after presiding over the night time’s proceedings.

They moved to the entrance of the dais, issuing threats on the Bekwai MP.

This received the Majority MPs to additionally begin agitations and instantly Mr Osei-Owusu handed the presiding position to the Second Deputy Speaker, Andrew Amoako Asiamah, the struggle broke out.

Credit score: 3news.com