Proceedings in Parliament had to be adjourned on Friday, July 14 following the continuous boycott by the Minority Caucus.
Members of the Minority were in court on Friday in solidarity with Assin North colleague James Gyakye Quayson.
This is the third time the National Democratic Congress (NDC) members are boycotting proceedings after making that intention known on Tuesday, July 4.
That resolve went into full force on Thursday, July 6 before another on Tuesday, July 11. On both occasions proceedings in the House were suspended.
The latest, on Friday, is, therefore, the third time the NDC MPs are boycotting proceedings in protest against the continuous prosecution of three of their colleagues including the Minority Leader, Dr Casseil Ato Baah Forson.
Concerns have been raised about this action by the Minority.
Majority Leader Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu indicated in an interview with TV3‘s Evelyn Tengmaa that he will dialogue with his opposite number on a possible consensus.
“I intend to engage my colleague and compatriot, the Minority Leader, on that but if they insist that they wouldn’t attend to the business of Parliament, what else can you do?
“You need then have to mobilise your numbers to attend to the business of the House.”
On Wednesday, July 12, North Tongu MP Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa sought clarity from the Speaker, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, why they were marked absent when they had announced their action each day one of the three members goes t court.
To him, boycotts and walkouts have been clearly recorded in previous report and not marked as absence from the House.
But the Speaker directed thus: “A member if he wants not to attend but wants to be recorded as being absent because a permission has been granted, that permission has to be granted by the Speaker in writing. That is what guides attendance to the house.
“So you can choose to attend and you can choose not to attend. When you choose not to attend depending on your own action, you could be marked as absent and that means without permission or absent with permission.
“So the burden will now shift onto you as a group to show evidence that my good self has granted you permission to absent yourselves in writing.”