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Minority Chief Whip Muntaka Mubarak has revealed that Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin is scheduled to travel out of the country for his routine medical checkup this weekend.
The revelations come on the back of the failure of government and the majority side from putting the e-levy bill on the order of parliament for its first week since it resumed from the Christmas break.
The Majority Leader Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu has explained this is to afford Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta some more time to consult and the bill will be back in the House on February 1.
But speaking to Evans Mensah for a yet to be aired edition of PM EXPRESS, Muntaka Mubarak noted that if the speaker travels this weekend, he will be out for two weeks which will affect the period of consideration of the bill.
This will mean that one of the two Deputy Speakers will be expected to preside over the House which will disadvantage the majority side in terms of the numbers needed to approve the widely criticized tax measure.
“Everybody in leadership, unless you pretend not to know, you know Speaker has to go for a review. Are you going to waste all the time until the Speaker leaves for his review then you turn again and say, ah you see the speaker, he is not willing to help the government?”
He cautioned the majority from needlessly antagonizing the speaker despite the political difference.
“Whether the Speaker is on your side or opposite, if you have a business, you go discuss with the speaker.”
The Asawase MP says his side cannot guarantee there will be no confusion if the speaker travels and the Deputy speakers who act in his stead, try to vote.
The position of the minority has not changed on the e-levy, they say they are completely opposed and will manifest it when the bill is brought to the floor again.
Source: myJoy
