Parliament has postponed a vote on the Electronic Transfer Levy Bill until 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday, December 21.
The vote on the bill was halted after a brawl on the floor between the Majority and Minority members.
Viewers were not impressed as blows fell on the cheeks of Ghana’s parliamentarians, who are commonly referred to as Honourables, and shirts were torn. In the midst of the chaos, others were bumped and jostled.
Andrew Amoako Asiamah, the Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament, who ascended the dais to take over from First Deputy Speaker Joseph Osei-Owusu as the latter announced his right to vote, provoking the Minority members, adjourned proceedings until 9:00 a.m. Tuesday.
Majority members have already accused Speaker Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin of avoiding official duties on Monday by claiming they had no knowledge of his location, in violation of parliamentary protocol.
“The Speaker of Parliament, who is the law sovereign of this House, who is the president of the House, has today backed the NDC’s determination to frustrate and obstruct government business, and considering the critical numbers, this is the time we expect Mr Speaker to live up to his own bona fide to the people of Ghana,” Deputy Majority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin told journalists.
