Parliament, Jubilee House budget tussle may end up in court - Rashid Draman

The Executive Director of the Africa Center for parliamentary affairs Dr Rasheed Draman says the seeming budget tussle between Parliament and the Presidency may end up in the Supreme Court.

The Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin Tuesday, March 16 issued a stern warning to Committees which will consider the 2021 budget estimates against approving the estimates with the figures offered by the presidency.

The speaker further disclosed that he will not forward the appropriation bill to the president for his assent when passed if negotiations are not done to find a common ground over the decision by the Presidency to reduce the budget estimate for Parliament and the Judiciary.

Speaking to Starr News, Dr. Draman said “over the years, what has happened is that the legislature is starved of resources, yet we wake up and say we want the legislature to be almost if you like, equal to the executive in terms of checking and making sure that the executive is accountable for its stewardship and how the affairs of the nation are conducted.”

“I think this is very exciting, and there’s nothing that stops parliament from saying ‘ if you don't give us the resources to do our work, we are also not going to give you the resources that you need to do your work.'”

He added “let’s test the limit and if this has to end up at the supreme court, let it go there. Because you see this by the Rt. Honourable Speaker seems to want to reset the button and make sure that the power asymmetry that exists between the legislature and the executive is corrected once and for all.”