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The minority in parliament has pledged their support to the speaker of parliament, Alban Bagbin, in his quest to resist President Akufo-Addo’s attempt to cut budget estimates for the legislature and the judiciary.
According to the Caucus of the Democratic National Congress (NDC), the Executive’s decision will weaken the legislative arm of the government.
President Akufo-Addo through his executive secretary Nana Asante Bediatuo announced a cut of ¢ 77 million in the estimate presented by the Judiciary 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 the Spokesman responded by saying: “The Budget is not for the Executive. We have the final power to approve and that is why 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 Committees concerned 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 democracy it is Parliament and that is why we cannot correct things like corruption, hold the nation to account and implement the rule of law, ”he said.
Addressing the press in Parliament, the minority leader, Haruna Iddrisu, insisted that the House should not tolerate any attempts to weaken its oversight.
According to him, the Executive cannot get away with it and deny other arms of the government.
“Those of you who are familiar with the constitution share the view that over the years because our Constitution weighs on an executive presidency, the executive has gotten away with larger proportions and substantial amounts to carry out its activities, but the legislature and others are being denied. “