Majority triggers process to reconvene Parliament

T Majority caucus in Parliament has triggered processes for the House to reconvene within seven days to consider the government's unfinished businesses at the last meeting.

 Order 53 (1 and 2) and Article 112 (3) of the 1992 Constitution said 15 per cent of the total Members of Parliament may request a meeting of Parliament and the Speaker shall within seven days after receipt of the Memo summon Parliament to reconvene.

Per the permutations, 15 per cent brings the figure to 42 of which the Majority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, told a press conference on Friday that the caucus was within reach.

Currently, more than 100 MPs from the Majority side have signed up to the request to compel the Speaker, Alban Bagbin, to reconvene the House.

Recall

Mr Afenyo-Markin, who is also the New Patriotic Party Member of Parliament for Effutu Constituency in the Central Region, said the recall was to enable the House to consider three critical government businesses, which were advertised on the Order Paper on March 22, 2024, before the Speaker unilaterally adjourned the House sine die.

The three government businesses, which are informing the recall, are the adoption of the 34th report of the appointments committees to approve some ministers, their deputies and regional ministers; the motion on additional financing agreement between the government of Ghana and IDF to secure an amount of $ 150 million to finance the ongoing Greater Accra resilient and integrated development project, and a request for tax exemptions for selected beneficiaries under the One District One Factory policy.

So per the calculations and barring any last-minute hitch, Parliament should reconvene by May 14, 2024. "We are fortified by law to proceed to compel the Speaker to reconvene the House,” he said.