Cassiel Ato Forson has issued a stern warning to the Majority New Patriotic Party (NPP) in Parliament that they should not expect the Minority caucus to conduct government business on their behalf.
The NPP, he said, has enough members to form a quorum and proceed with parliamentary activities without relying on the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
The Minority leader issued the warning on Wednesday, July 19 after the 2nd Deputy Speaker, Andrew Asiamah was compelled to adjourn sitting for lack of quorum.
At the time the House commenced sitting, there were less than 90 members in the chamber.
Highlighting the constitutional requirement for commencing parliamentary sessions, Ato Forson clarified, “The Constitution in Article 1 and 2 is clear that you cannot commence the session of parliament unless you have one-third of 275, which is 91.6. So, therefore, only 92 members of parliament are required to commence sitting.”
He argued, however, that the Majority has 137 members plus the independent candidate making 138, enough to form the quorum for business.
The Minority leader challenged the NPP side to prioritize the interests of the Ghanaian people and fulfill their responsibilities in Parliament.
He said, “The NPP should not expect the NDC to do government business for them as they sit in the comfort of their homes, draw on salaries, and then go to constituencies, use government vehicles and government resources for campaigning. We wouldn’t do that.”
He also warned the NDC minority would not compromise on their stance on the boycott and reiterated that the ball is in the NPP’s court to initiate cooperation.
Ato Forson criticized the Majority’s actions during an ongoing economic crisis, accusing them of neglecting their responsibilities.
He stated, “Let Ghanaians be aware that the NPP does not have the moral right to talk about patriotism. In the middle of an economic crisis, you have all abandoned parliament and using state resources to campaign.”
The Minority, he said, is not going to compromise on that and advised the Majority to show up on the floor and take care of their business.