The Minority in Parliament has staged a walkout from the reading of the budget
The Minority Caucus in Parliament has staged a walkout moments before the presentation of the 2025 Mid-Year Budget Review.
The caucus boycotted the presentation after the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, stopped the Minority Chief Whip, Frank Annoh-Dompreh, from making a statement on electoral violence.
The Speaker explained that a day would be scheduled to critically look into the issue of electoral violence.
The Minority Chief Whip, who is also the Member of Parliament (MP) for Nsawam Adoagyiri, said that his side cannot participate in the presentation of the review if the issue of electoral violence is not addressed.
“Mr Speaker, with all due respect, I will not on any day defy your authority. We have lined up a number of activities to battle these demands, and to the extent that this violence visited is not atoned for, we cannot be part of the presentation of the mid-year budget review,” he stated.
Annoh-Dompreh and the members of his caucus, who were all clad in black attire, after his remarks, started walking out of the House after his remarks, as the Members of the Majority Caucus were hooting at them.
It is worth noting that the boycott of the presentation would not prevent the presentation of the mid-year review from proceeding because a two-thirds majority of the ruling National Democratic Congress means they don’t require the presence of the Minority Caucus to undertake any activity in the House.
The country’s Financial Administration Act mandates this review.
It aligns with Section 28 of the Public Financial Management Act, 2016 (Act 921), which requires the Finance Minister to update Parliament on the execution of the national budget and outline the fiscal strategy for the remaining half of the year.
BAI/AE
Meanwhile, you can also watch videos from the NPP’s National Delegates Conference below:
