By Bubu Klinogo
The Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu, has served notice that he will challenge the First Deputy Speaker, Joseph Osei-Owusu on his conduct and ruling on a motion of rescission he moved on Wednesday, which was seconded and debated.
Mr. Iddrisu had moved that the House rescind the approval granted the Budget by the Majority side on grounds of unconstitutionality.
After secondment and debate on the motion, the First Deputy Speaker who was in the Chair ruled and dismissed the motion.
Mr. Iddrisu is contending that the First Deputy Speaker had no jurisdiction ruling on a motion which has been moved and seconded and then debated.
By the Standing Orders of the House, the conduct and ruling of a Speaker can only be challenged by a substantive motion and that is what Mr. Iddrisu is seeking to do.
When Mr. Iddrisu successfully challenges the Speaker, it means the Speaker must propose a question on the earlier motion of rescission, for the Members to vote on it. Approval of the motion of rescission will mean, the approval granted the budget by the Majority had been rescinded.
Motion filed
Mr. Iddrisu has since filed the motion.
It reads that this honorable House sets aside the purported ruling of the 1st Deputy Speaker, Joseph Osei-Owusu, delivered on Wednesday, 1st December, 2021 against the motion moved by the Honorable Minority Leader and seconded by Member Parliament (MP) for Bawku Central, as captured on page 9 of the votes and proceedings of Wednesday, 1st December 2021, on grounds that it contravenes the rules, conventions and practices of the house and was actuated by bias.