Parliament adjourns sitting due to lack of quorum

Accra, Mar. 4, GNA- Parliament on Thursday adjourned at 1620 hours with four more motions for the approval of budget estimates to be dealt with, despite a general consensus in the House to complete each day's business on the Order Paper until the approval of the 2004 budget estimates of the various Ministries Departments and Agencies (MDAs) was over.

The first Deputy Speaker, Mr. Freddy Blay, adjourned sitting when Mr. Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, NDC-Wenchi West moved for adjournment on the basis of Standing Order 48 (1 and 2), which reads that it was unlawful for the House to undertake any business without a quorum, being a third of the total membership.

This was after an argument in the House as a result of which Mr. Samuel Sallas-Mensah, NDC- Upper West Akim, stormed out of the chamber, amidst hooting from the majority side, after withdrawing a statement he made on the orders of the Deputy Speaker.

Mr. Blay had called on Mr. Sallas-Mensah to withdraw a claim he made during the debate of the 2004 budget estimate of the Ministry of Health, that the staff of the Food and Drugs Board (FDB), were inefficient because there was no board to oversee their activities. Captain Nkrabeah Effah-Dartey, NPP-Berekum had called on the First Deputy Speaker to impress upon Mr. Sallas-Mensah to either substantiate his claim or withdraw it.

Capt. Effah-Dartey later described Mr. Sallas-Mensah's storming out of the chamber as indiscipline and contempt of Parliament, and called for his action to be referred to the Privileges Committee for further action, in accordance with the Standing Orders of the House.

Exactly at 1600 hours, Mr. Nketiah brought the Speaker's attention to the lack of quorum, stepped out and ordered the bell to be rung, after which the mandatory 10 minutes elapsed and he returned to call for adjournment, which the Speaker granted at exactly 1620 hours.

Mr. Blay told the Ghana News Agency, after the adjournment that "though there is a consensus in the House to have extended sittings to complete the business of each day, my hands are tired when a member raises the question of quorum."

Mr. Cletus Avoka, NDC-Bawku West, told the GNA that the minority members were not happy with the issue of Standing Orders raised by the Majority, which the Speaker upheld and reprimanded Mr. Sallas-Mensah. Meanwhile Parliament, by its own consensus, is expected to continue with its extended sittings, comprising of two sections everyday. The first sections begins from 1000 hours and ends at 1330 hours and the second section begins from 1500 hours and do not end until the last motion for the approval of budgetary estimates was dealt with.

Since the House came to this consensus, Parliament had had to close as late as 1900 hours on some days, particularly on Wednesday March 3, 2004.

The measure adopted by Parliament, is to keep track with its own principle of time management, which was declared by the leadership of the House at the beginning of this session. According to the Parliamentary calendar for this election year, 2004, this session of the House would rise on March 26, 2004, which is 22 days away. Meanwhile, the turnout of members to the House in this period of budget approval, have been below expectation, as most of the MPs, especially on the minority side were often not present to make contribution to debates.