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Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin is on a collision course with President Akufo-Addo over his decision to cut budget estimates for the judiciary and the legislature.
Alban Sumana Bagbin during the presentation of the 2021 budget statement last Friday addressed Acting Finance Minister Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu and Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, who was present to convey the message to the President that any cut in estimates budgeting for the two institutions will not be entertaining.
This comes after President Akufo-Addo through his executive secretary Nana Asante Bediatuo announced to the speaker a cut of ¢ 77 million in the estimate presented by the Judicial Power and the Judicial Service and more than ¢ 119 million of the estimate of the Legislature.
The presidency cited current economic challenges for the decision.
But in a sharp refutation, the Speaker said: “The Budget is not for the Executive, we have the final power to approve and then what the Constitution has done is that they make a recommendation and negotiate during the deliberation before the House.
“It is not up to the Executive to impose points of view on the Judiciary and Parliament, we have to do the right thing and, therefore, during the examination of the estimates, in particular, the interested Committees take this into account.
“At the end of the day, come and inform us of the negotiated figure, not of the ceiling that the President has given. That is not the intention of the 1992 Constitution. If you do otherwise, I, as your president, will not attach any letter to present to the president for his actions … I mean what I’m saying, the weakest link in our Democratic parliament and that is why we cannot correct things like corruption. , hold the nation to account and implement the rule of law, ”he said.
The Spokesperson further revealed that he will not refer the Appropriation Bill to the President for his promotion when it is approved if negotiations are not conducted to find common ground for the assignment of the two organs instead of imposition.
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