Parliament has rejected the 2022 Budget Statement and Economic Policy read in the House by the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, last week.
Members on the Majority side of Parliament staged a walkout on Friday, November 26, 2021, following a disagreement over a directive by the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, for non-MPs to vacate the Chamber.
The Majority’s actions did not prevent the House from continuing with the business of the day as the budget received a rejection by solely NDC MPs.
The Majority MPs demanded that General Secretary of the NDC Johnson Asiedu Nketia who was seated in the public gallery leaves Parliament before they continue with the business of the House.
“Clearly, the No’s have it. The motion is accordingly lost,” the Speaker ruled.
Mr Asiedu Nketia ignored their request which infuriated the Majority MPs who walked out of the Chamber, leaving only members on the Minority side.
The Speaker of Parliament thus suspended the sitting for five minutes after which the business of the day proceeded.
A last-minute request by the Finance Minister to meet with the leadership of the House was turned down by MPs after the Speaker of Parliament announced that the ‘Nos’ had won the voice vote.
