Parliament ends Public business
Public business came to an end last week in Parliament with the laying of two very important Constitutional Instruments (CIs) which would guide the conduct of the 2016 Presidential and Parliamentary elections.
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They are the Public Elections Regulations, 2016 (PER) and the Representation of the People ( Parliamentary Constituencies ) Instrument, 2016 (PI).
The PER would revoke CI 75 which was used for the conduct of the 2012 elections while the PI would give legitimacy to some polling stations and electoral areas created for the conduct of the 2016 district-level elections.
Both CIs must be in the House for 21 sitting days to be considered to be passed into law.
The two CIs and the Constitutional (Amendment) Bill, 2016, which is also before Parliament, will make certain the country's decision to hold elections in November instead of December.
Expression of fear
Prior to the laying of the CIs, some Members of Parliament (MPs), particularly the member for Asuogyaman, Mr Kofi Osei-Ameyaw, had raised some alarm that the elections could not be held in November.
In his view, judging by the fact that the Constitutional (Amendment ) Bill, which had been referred to the Council of State, would be considered by that body for up to 30 days and the fact that the two CIs had not been laid, it might not be possible to hold the elections earlier than December 7.
The Constitutional (Amendment) Bill, 2016, seeks to amend Article 112 (4) of the 1992 Constitution to ensure that elections are held on the first Monday of November of an election year.
But the Chairman of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Subsidiary Legislation, Mr Osei Bonsu Amoah, sought to calm the nerves of Ghanaians by assuring the nation that in spite of the fact that the CIs had not been laid, it was possible to hold elections on November 7, this year.
He told the Daily Graphic that the committee would hold a meeting with the Electoral Commission (EC) after which the CIs would be laid.
And true to his word, two sitting days after that meeting, the CIs were laid.
He also said Parliament would have to sit on Mondays and Saturdays to enable the CIs to mature, if it becomes necessary and, maybe, delay till August instead of the end of July because of holidays.
Also, contrary to the belief of Mr Osei-Ameyaw that the Constitutional (Amendment) Bill, 2016 would take up to 30 days to leave the desks of members of the Council of State, it took less than one week.
It was referred back to the House on July 4 and is currently before the Parliamentary Select Committee on Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs for consideration and report.
Highlights of CIs
The PER will allow voters who the Biometric Verification Device (BVD) fails to verify to vote without verification.
In such a case, the polling assistant is required to seek the consent of party agents present and all of them would have to agree.
A form would then be presented to the voter to fill indicating that he or she had to vote without biometric verification because the BVD failed to recognise his or her thumb although he or she is a registered voter.
"No verification, no vote, " the short, memorable and striking phrase which characterised the 2012 elections would, therefore, cease to exist.
The PER also indemnifies all the EC's presiding officers from any wrongdoing in the course of the conduct of the elections.
Also, the PER makes provision for journalists recognised or accredited by the National Media Commission (NMC) to take part in special voting.
Information available to the Daily Graphic points to the fact that the provision was inserted late last Thursday and that originally, journalists were not to take part in special voting like the security agencies.
Other issues
In the course of last week, four bills were also taken through consideration stages.
They are the Securities Industry Bill, the National Disaster Management Bill, 2015; the Ghana Aids Commission Bill, 2013 and the Right to Information Bill, 2013.
The Committee on Subsidiary Legislation, the Special Budget Committee, the Committee on Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, also sat to consider pertinent national issues.