The parliament of Ghana has revised its current standing orders to allow for deputy speakers to cast secret ballots in the House, according to Speaker of the House Alban Bagbin.
Mr. Bagbin asserts that the review of the standing orders will put an end to the confusion and disarray that have plagued voting in the House.
Deputy Speakers were not previously permitted to participate in the House’s voting procedures. But speaking at a public forum in Takoradi, which was monitored by 1Family Radio, Speaker Bagbin claimed that Deputy Speakers can now exercise their right to vote by informing the clerks of their preference in silence.
“Now we have come up with new standing orders. So a lot of work has been done during this period. Revising the standing orders, which started in 2002, has not been successful until now, but within three years, we have succeeded in doing so,’’ he said.
“The first and second deputy speakers, when you are presiding in my absence, can vote by indicating your preference to the clerks in silence, and he will add to the number.’’
“It’s not in your place to say those who are supporting say ‘I’ and you are also shouting ‘I’; how then do you determine if you also shout?” he quizzed.
Source: 1Familyradio