On Thursday, November 7, 2024, Speaker Alban Bagbin announced an indefinite adjournment of Parliament due to the absence of lawmakers from the New Patriotic Party (NPP). The NPP had previously requested the recall of Parliament after it was adjourned indefinitely on October 22, 2024. The recall was intended to allow government business to continue, but with the NPP caucus absent, the session was unable to proceed.
In his brief address, Speaker Bagbin expressed disappointment over the lack of quorum, emphasizing that without the presence of the NPP lawmakers, the business committee could not meet, and consequently, there was no agenda or order paper to guide the session. He explained that the business committee had failed to convene because those who requested the recall were absent.
“As you can see, one side of the House is empty, and without an agenda, there is no business to transact,” Bagbin said. “In the absence of the business committee’s input, we cannot proceed with any discussions.”
He went on to stress that while a quorum was present, the absence of necessary proceedings meant that there was no business to be conducted. As a result, he announced the adjournment, stating that it was not advisable to keep adjourning on a daily basis. Therefore, he declared the House adjourned indefinitely.
This move follows rising tensions between the Majority and Minority caucuses, which have already delayed parliamentary work in recent weeks. The indefinite adjournment leaves the timeline for reconvening Parliament uncertain, especially with the December 7 election just 30 days away.
SOURCE: http://dew360.net
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