The honourable member of parliament for the Ningo-Prampram Constituency; Sam George has disclosed that the Supreme Court’s ruling to allow Deputy Speakers vote while presiding as Speakers has brought confusion rather than clarity to the matter at hand.
The Mps criticism has also met different responses from the likes of Nii Ayikoi Otoo; former Attorney General. According to the former Attorney General, the Supreme Court is the valid institution to interpret the sovereign laws of the land hence their ruling is very authentic.
However, Sam George believes different. He believes parliamentarians are masters of their own procedure and therefore can settle such matters on their own.
“They have given their ruling we have heard but I believe that there is a reason why our standing orders say that parliament is a master of its own affairs and that the procedure in Parliament resides in the bosom of Mr. Speaker.
“For me, I cannot, for the life of me, be part of what I will deem illegality which will be that the person presiding in the House will take part in a vote he is superintending over. I do not know what position my leadership or my party will take but my principled position is one that states that anyone presiding, be it Mr Speaker or any of his two deputies has absolutely no business taking part in the vote on the floor. “We will employ every legal means within the Parliamentary procedure to ensure that this long time tested practice of parliament which is 30 years old this year, will be upheld until the Lord Justices decide to start expunging part of the constitution like 104(5) for us to see that the application of the law is not skewed and imbalanced. I do not see why anyone who has a conflict of interest should be allowed to vote.
“We pray the Lord Justices, their role is to bring clarity not rather lead us co fusion and obfuscate what the facts are. the Law is clear. we have heard them, they have passed their ruling but Parliament we are masters of our own procedure, we will carry out what we believe is right on the floor of the chamber,” Sam George said.
