The Minority in Parliament says it will go to the Supreme Court to seek an interpretation of Article104 of the Constitution which indicates the conduct of votes in the House.
This follows the House’s approval of a request by the government to pass the Imposition of Restriction Bill under a certificate of urgency, Thursday, March 19, 2020.
The Bill does not deal with the issue of the coronavirus spread but rather seeks to broadly restrict freedom of movement.
The Constitutional and Legal Affairs Committee voted by a 10 to 5 majority, to rush the Bill through the House, JoyNews Joseph Opoku Gakpo reported.
The plenary approved the committee’s report after three hours of heated debate.
Some of the Minority MPs stepped out before the vote was taken on the matter.
“We support the President’s measures but this Bill smells like the PDA [Preventive Detention Act] let’s be careful,” Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu said.
He said there were not enough Members of Parliament in the House to give the bill the green light.
“We are going to insist on the recording because we’ll challenge this matter in court…We jealously will safeguard our human rights and freedoms…” he vowed.
But the Majority Leader Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu accused the Minority MPs of deliberately exiting the chamber.
He insisted: “We will not bow to any Minority intimidation.”
The committee on Constitutional and Legal Affairs will deliberate on the substance of the Bill on Friday, after which it will submit a report to the House requesting its approval.
