Deputy Speaker Joe Wise can still vote — Afenyo-Markin

The Member of Parliament for Effutu in the Central Region, Alexander Kwamina Afenyo-Markin has defended the decision for Joseph Osei-Owusu, First Deputy Speaker to include himself to form a quorum for the approval of the 2022 budget presented to the House by the Finance Minister.

According to the Deputy Majority Leader, the Constitution requires members present to vote, and since the 1st Deputy Speaker, who is also a member of the House, he has the right to vote.

He indicated that “That is what the law says. It says that members present. Even so, whereas when it comes to the substantive speaker, Mr. Speaker himself, the Constitution is clear that he has neither an original vote nor a casting vote, if you come to our standing orders, Order 109, the presiding member or a Deputy Speaker presiding would not have an original vote, it was specific.

“It excluded the casting vote so that in itself means that, were there to be a tie of the 138 members present and voting coming out with a tie, the one presiding, in this case, Mr. Speaker would have exercised that right to cast his vote.”

However, Muntaka Mubarak, Minority Chief Whip in a quick rebuttal described the majority members’ decision as being egoistic in approving the budget.

He disagreed with the 1st Deputy Speaker’s decision to vote for the approval of the budget.

He noted that the Minority side of the House will insist on a vote for every estimate of the 2022 Budget until appropriation.