The founder of the Danquah Institute (DI), Mr Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko, has said First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Mr Joe Osei-Owusu, did not vote on the 2022 budget on Tuesday, 30 November 2021.

According to Mr Otchere-Darko, Mr Osei-Owusu was only counted as present in the house in his capacity as the MP for Bekwai and did not need to vote because once half of the members of parliament were present, only the majority of that number needed to vote.

Mr Otchere-Darko explained this in a tweet shortly after the budget was approved and some Ghanaians raised questions about whether or not the Majority had the numbers to legally approve the budget, as the First Deputy Speaker was sitting in for Speaker Alban Bagbin who is in Dubai for medical review.

“No, Minority Leader, the Deputy Speaker today [Tuesday, 30 November 2021] did not vote”, Mr Otchere-Darko argued, explaining: “He was only counted as present in the House in his capacity as MP for Bekwai and he did not vote and needn’t vote because once half of members are present only the majority of that number needed to vote ‘aye!’”..

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No, Minority Leader, the Deputy Speaker today did not vote. He was only counted as present in the House in his capacity as MP for Bekwai and he did not vote and needn’t vote because once half of members are present only the majority of that number needed to vote “aye!”

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