MPs in silent boycott

The Statesman in another story claims there is evidence of a silent boycott by Members of Parliament (MPs) since the House resumed a fortnight ago.

This action, the paper says is attributed to the MPs’ unhappiness with the way the Executive, particularly the President, dealt with the issue of the 20,000 dollar-car loan for MPs. Much to their chagrin, President Kufuor, upon his return from Cote d' Ivoire suspended the move to grant loans to MPs.

Even though business in Parliament immediately on resumption from recess is often very slow, two weeks of deliberations of the Third Meeting of the House has been badly hit by lack of quorum to adopt an important motion.

The motion is on "the report of the Public Accounts Committee on the Auditor-General's report on the Public Accounts of Ghana for the period ended 31st December and other Agencies (MDAS) of the Central Government (Judicial Service)".

The motion that generated lots of criticisms from both the Majority and Minority benches, has since the past three sitting days, been unable to get the nod of the House, though it has always been printed on the Order Paper, that serves as the agenda for each day's sitting.

According to the paper, speculations running around the corridors of the House are that “the honourable MPs are flexing their muscles to let the Executive realise that what is good for the goose is good for the gander”.

Sampling conducted among a number of MPs from both the Majority and Minority groups has shown that almost all the MPs are unhappy with the public bashing received.