Hawa Koomson et al: How the three ministers-nominee escaped rejection by parliament

Three ministerial nominees - Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto, Mavis Hawa Koomson and Kojo Oppong Nkrumah - who were rejected by the Minority MPs on the Appointments Committee have been approved by parliament Thursday dawn via secret voting.

After a long sitting from Wednesday, March 3, the MPs, with the supervision of the Speaker, went through an orderly secret voting process unlike on 7 January where the secret ballot process created total confusion.

After the voting which started on Wednesday night ended on Thursday dawn, the ministerial nominees each secured more than 50 per cent votes from the parliamentarians to get their nominations approved.

According to the Standing Orders of Parliament, Standing Order 172(8) - a candidate who fails to secure 50 per cent of the votes cast is rejected.

Announcing the results to the parliamentarians, Alban Bagbin, the Speaker of Parliament stated that after 265 qualified parliamentarians had voted, all the three candidates had more than 50 per cent which indicated that they have been approved.

The House is to communicate the list of nominees now ministers-designate to the president.

The president is expected to administer the oath of office to the ministers-designate before the State of the Nation’s address scheduled for 8 March.