Ghana: Majority Won't Support Censure Motion Against Finance Minister - Afeny Markin

2 December 2022

The Majority in Parliament has stated that it will not support their colleagues on the minority side to see through their censure motion against the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta.

According to the deputy majority leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, the motion was politically motivated and would not receive their support.

The Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu, yesterday during the presentation of the business statement courted the support of the Majority Caucus to execute the motion to remove the Finance Minister from office.

Per provisions of Article 82, should the motion be successful, at least 184 of the 275 MPs must vote 'yes' to remove the Finance Minister.

It was in this context that the minority leader extended the invitation to the majority to support with at least 48 'Yes' votes when the adhoc committee's report is finally moved for debate.

However, Mr Afenyo-Markin said the minority must lower their expectation.

"Who told you, you are going to get any support from us? We have told you that it is a political motion. We made it clear to you that we would not support you so that imaginative numbers you are thinking of, you aren't getting it.

"We will debate you on that day and prove to you that it is a personal attack on the finance minister," Mr Afenyo-Markin stressed.

According to him, the Minority must not even expect his side of the House to participate in any secret vote.

Before the motion was taken some two weeks ago, the governing New Patriotic Party had told its members in the House to abstain from the vote.

"The Minority should not be under any impression that there is going to be a so- called secret vote for you to get somebody to support you," he reminded the NDC formed Minority caucus.

To him the motion was nothing but one aimed at distracting the government to gain undue political advantage; a ploy he said they won't fall for.

"It is your NDC matter. You don't have the numbers to do what you want to do. Allow us to run our government.

"We the Majority are solidly behind the Finance Minister. We are the Majority and our internal matters are for us to deal with. It is not for you to interfere in our internal matters," he said.

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