Managing Editor of the Insight newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr., has opposed the Supreme Court verdict saying a "Deputy Speaker is entitled to be counted as a Member of Parliament for quorum" and can "vote and take part in the decision of Parliament".
The Supreme Court, by a seven member panel, made this decision unanimously on Wednesday, March 9, 2022.
But to the seasoned Journalist, the verdict is an erosion of the Speaker's neutrality in presiding over parliamentary proceedings.
He argued that as soon as the Deputy Speaker sits in the Speaker's seat, he assumes the Speaker's role, so wondered why they should have a right to vote.
"Deputy Speakers are Deputy Speakers. Deputy Speakers are not Speakers. That's a fact but when Deputy Speakers move and sit in that chair with the gavel, they exercise the powers of Speakers. They do not exercise the powers of Speakers because they have the same salary with the Speaker. They exercise the powers of Speaker clearly because in that position they are performing functions of the Speaker and in that position as they perform the functions of Speaker, they are expected to rise above the partisanship in the House."
"How do they rise above the partisanship in the House when they are voting and debating and so on? . . . if the drafters of the constitution intended the position of Speaker to be a neutral arbiter, how can those act in stead of the Speaker not be expected to act as neutral arbiters?'', he asked.
"All of us, normal right-thinking people, do we expect persons presiding over parliamentary affairs to be neutral or we don't? Do we expect a certain level of neutrality or we don't? Now, if we expect a certain level of neutrality and independence for persons presiding over parliamentary affairs, how do you guarantee that neutrality?
''If the person presiding over the affairs in Parliament is involved in the debate and can cast a vote in favor of a side and so on, how then can you establish the Speaker's impartiality and neutrality?", he further queried.
To Mr. Pratt, the purpose of the verdict is just to allow the "so-called majority to carry the day even as we have 137/137. That's the effect. That is the effect; no other effect!"
Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana
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Massa have you read the judgment? Sometimes let us help discourses by being informative and not sensational. Mr. Pratt you're either being mischievous or playing to the gallery. This kind of attitude doesn't help any cause.
I can easily see how Kwesi Pratt would have been supporting the Supreme Court judges if it were NPP that took the case to court and lost. This man just has no principles.
Kwesi Flatt, hear this. Constituents votefor their MP's to go and represent our interest in parliament first and foremost. MP's becoming deputy speakers, chief whips, majority and minority leaders have nothing to do with their constituents. If a deputy speaker takes over the chair does his/ her constituents ceases to have a representative in parliament? If a deputy speaker is in the chair, does the number of seats reduce from 275 to 274? . Since the position of deputy speaker is not by force, what happens if every MP declines the position knowing very well he/she can't vote when sitting on the chair. The first and second deputy speaker positions should be non MP's, the ruling party appoints the first deputy and the minority appoints the second deputy, until that is done, MP's/ deputy speakers must vote for that's why they were sent to the house. You send your child to go and study and pass his/her exams, if the school decides to make your child a class or school prefect that's their palaver not the parent . The current speaker also talks too much, he's behaving like a class one teacher and his pupils. He should know they are MP's in the house who are his seniors at the BAR, who are older than him, some of them have grandchildren so he should accord them some respect if not one day he will be embarrassed. Patience has it's limits.
Let's see if the frequent travels of the speaker will continue.
Agya Pratt Stop Nagging, Being an astute journalist Does Not Accord You Any Power To Interpret Constitution
The neutrality of the speaker is determined by the rules not his discretion. We should be more serious as regards the focus of the SC ruling.
Mr Pratt stop wearing an opposition spectacle. How can you make a player of one team a referee reducing his side to 10 and the opponent still maintain 11 and you expect the player referee to be neutral? If you and the minority have problem with the ruling is because of E-levy but mind you the first positive side of E-levy is that it has come to expose the ignorance of you and the minority. In many countries the main speaker is an MP and can vote and nothing bad has happened to them . Bagbin thought he could put the nation to ransom with his numerous travels but now the law is clear, he can stay in Dubai forever and Joe Wise will preside and vote
Kwesi Pratt must tell the EC chairperson not to vote.
How can Bagbin, who is an NDC card-bearing member be neutral? Kwesi Pratt is not concerned about the neutrality of a card-bearing party member who is chosen as a speaker but he is much concerned about someone who was sent there by a constituency.
How can't he/she? Every Speaker is NOT neutral! But they must be impartial! Is Bagbin neutral? Some of you are the cause of Ghana's problems!