Governance expert and lawyer, Dr. Eric Oduro Osae, has condemned the brawl that ensued in Parliament over the voting on the E-levy bill on Monday, December 20, 2021.
Some MPs exchanged blows in Parliament during the final voting on the controversial E-levy bill.
While taking votes on whether the E-levy bill should be taken under a certificate of urgency, the Minority got infuriated over an attempt by the presiding Speaker, Joe Osei-Owusu to leave the chair to cast his vote.
The Minority had earlier contended that per Parliament’s standing orders, the Speaker of Parliament does not have a casting vote, however, Joe Osei Owusu indicated that he would still vote.
The brawl saw dozens of the opposition parliamentarians exchange fisticuffs with their colleagues on the majority side while some officials of parliament try to protect the Speaker’s seat and the mace of parliament from being attacked.
Commenting on the brawl on the GTV Breakfast Show, Dr Oduro Osae said the brawl is a dent on the country as Ghana has been a beacon for democracy in Africa over the years.
"I don't think we should normalise it [brawl], we must speak against it because Parliament is an important arm of Ghana because they make the laws for other arms of government to implement. I have colleagues from other countries who called, asking me what is happening to Ghana's parliament.
People see Ghana as a beacon of democracy and they are learning from us. Now they see that things happening in other parliaments in other jurisdictions are being imported into our parliament. What is happening to our parliament?"
READ ALSO: Parliament to vote on E-Levy today after MPs exchanged blows in the House
He stated that the Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin must exercise his authority as the leader of parliament to ensure law and order in the parliament house.
"I can imagine if this had happened in the judiciary... the Chief Justice would put his foot down. I can imagine if it had happened in the executive, people would lash the President and say, President, put your foot down. The Speaker has not lost control over his house but he does not anticipate the consequences of some of his actions... because of the closeness of the voting, he should have anticipated the consequences but he did not do that and he left.
If he comes to a chair, what is he going to tell Ghanaians and that is where I am inviting him to provide leadership...it is about time he puts his foot down... because when the international media are reporting, it is not about NDC or NPP, but it is about the Ghanaian parliament", Dr Oduro Osae added.
Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta, presenting the 2022 Budget on Wednesday, November 17 2022, announced that the government intends to introduce an electronic transaction levy (E-levy).
The levy, he revealed is being introduced to “widen the tax net and rope in the informal sector”. This followed a previous announcement that the government intends to halt the collection of road tolls.