Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, has revealed he cannot be held responsible for the inability of the House to conclude on the Electronic Transaction Levy (E-levy) bill.
The Majority in Parliament had alleged Mr Bagbin’s absence throughout the first part of the sitting appears to be part of a grand plan by the Minority to frustrate the approval of the bill.
According to the Majority Leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, Mr Bagbin on Monday left his seat for the First Deputy Speaker, Joe Osei-Owusu, to preside over the House midway through a decision on the controversial e-levy bill.
However, Mr Bagbin left Parliament for the House without communicating to anyone and not even Mr Osei-Owusu who was acting in his stead.
To him, it was an unfortunate development as one person [Speaker] cannot hold the House to ransom.
But the Speaker says despite his readiness and willingness to preside over the proceedings, the Majority Caucus delayed.
“I can give you a copy of my closing remarks which when I was leaving I passed through my usher to give to them that it was after 10 in the night, and I had to go and take a rest because you delayed in sitting.
“I had to compel the House to sit after 2 and I presided, I said let us discuss E-levy, you said no, rather the other business. I kept on varying we did about six important items, approving other; loans until I had to hand over getting to 6:30 to the First Deputy Speaker,” he explained.
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He stressed so far as he is concerned he applied the rules fairly, adding his roles in the House are very clear.
“Now, they say I refused to preside, that is why some numbers were not in the House, I am not a Chief whip of any party, I am not entitled to bring members to the House, that is not my duty.
“I presided and applied the rules and I have applied them fairly according to my understanding, through literature, through experience,” he said while addressing a forum of former Parliamentarians on Thursday.