General News of 2012-09-03

Minority MPs walk out of Parliament over CI 77

The Minority in Parliament have walked out of the House protesting the CI creating 45 new Constituencies.

The Minority contended that before the House rose on recess, the CI laid before the House was CI73 but when the House was recalled Monday, the name had been changed to CI77 and demanded an explanation.

They insisted the CI placed before the House was different from the one currently before the House.

House Speaker however ruled against the Minority, insisting that the change in name does not matter, prompting a walk out by the Minority.

Minority Leader Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu told Joy FM's Parliamentary correspondent Sammy Darko the CI77 is fundamentally and radically different from the CI73 which was laid before the House earlier.

He said it was strange that Speaker Joyce Bamford-Addo ruled that the two documents were the same.

The CI needs 21 sitting days to mature into law to give legal backing to the creation of the 45 new constituencies but the Minority Leader insisted that counting could not start under the circumstance.

He said the Majority Leader Cletus Avoka, if he so desires, must properly lay the CI77 before the House so the counting would start from whence it is laid.