I am looking forward to your application for review – John Mahama urges Justice Abdulai
Apart from Speaker Alban Bagbin encouraging the plaintiff to seek a review regarding the voting rights of Deputy Speakers while leading proceedings in the chamber, Former President Mahama has also urged the plaintiff to seek a review regarding the case.
This was contained in a post on Facebook by Mr Mahama expressing his concern about how impartial the Deputy Speakers would be now that he wields the power to vote during proceedings and have the ability to determine the winning side during voting sessions.
“The first vote in most cases taken on a motion in Parliament is a voice vote. The presiding officer, whether the Speaker or any of his/her deputy speakers, is supposed to listen to which is the loudest, the ayes or the nays and make a determination.”
“If the deputy speakers are allowed to vote, then they must take part, first, in the voice vote. If you are presiding and can shout aye or nay with your party in the voice vote, how do you impartially determine which was the loudest?”
“What is the determination of the SC? That Deputy speakers can shout aye or nay with the side they agree or disagree with in the voice vote?” he queried.
Mr Mahama said the Supreme Court judgment is absurd. He called on the applicant to apply for a review of the judgment.
“This judgment is regrettable, and I look forward to the applicant applying for a review of this ruling,” he added.
The ruling was given in a case brought by Justice Abdulai who is a law professor and it was contesting the First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Joseph Osei-Owusu’s decision to count himself during voting for the approval of the 2022 budget.
In the long run, the judgment supported the position of Mr Osei-Owusu who defended his decisive vote in the approval of the 2022 budget, although he was presiding as Speaker.
The Court also quashed order 109 (3) of the Standing Orders of Parliament, describing it as unconstitutional.
