Executive Director of ASEPA, Dr. Rashid Draman
Minority vows not to compromise on five demands
Majority set to challenge rejection of 2022 budget
Parliament to reconvene on Tuesday, November 30, 2021
The African Centre for Parliamentary Affairs, (ACEPA), has warned that the rejection of the 2022 budget statement by Parliament, particularly Minority Members of Parliament (MPs), may backfire against them if they do not reach a compromise with government on some of their demands.
According to Executive Director of ACEPA, Dr. Rasheed Draman, the actions of the NDC MPs may cause government’s business to grind to a halt.
This, he says, will lead to a situation where Ghanaians would blame the NDC for their worsening standards of living if they do not back down from holding the government accountable.
To this end, Dr. Rashid Draman is urging both sides of the House to initiate steps to begin engaging on how best to resolve their difference in order to have the budget approved.
“We all want to see the budget approved because not approving the budget and getting the country into some kind of gridlock has very very, serious implications particularly for the ordinary person. There are a number of people who live by the day and they rely on government services. In some countries like the US, we have seen government shutting down because the budget has not been passed. And even there, we have seen, even there the implications on people who live on the margins,” he observed on Joy News’ “The Pulse” and monitored by GhanaWeb.
“So, whatever it is, I will like to see at the end of the day both sides taking a step into the middle and making sure that there’s some giving and some taking. The NDC can continue to push forward these demands but there’s a limit. If we are not careful and we get into the arena of the government shutting down, people are going to turn around and start blaming the NDC for their plight. So their efforts at holding the government into account can have the opposite effect of, if you like, endearing them to the Ghanaian electorates for us to see them a credible government in waiting. So there’s a limit to how much they can push in terms of their demands. They must be ready to give up some of the demands,” he further stated.
On Friday, November 26, 2021, Parliament voted to reject the 2022 budget statement presented by the Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta, on Wednesday, November 17, 2021, amid the majority staging a walkout.
In a subsequent press conference, the majority denounced the rejection of the budget, stating that it is null and of no effect on parliament.
Meanwhile, parliament is expected to reconvene on Tuesday, November 30, 2021, in what promises to be a showdown between the two opposing sides of the House.