APC Lashes Speaker Thomas for “Putting the Cart Before the Horse” in Constitutional Amendment Bill
By Our Staff Writer
Spokesperson for the All People’s Congress (APC), Sidie Yayah Tunis, has criticised the Speaker of Parliament, Hon. Segepoh Solomon Thomas, for what he described as “putting the cart before the horse” in the handling of the Constitutional Amendment Bill.
Speaking to Liberty TV, the APC spokesperson argued that the Speaker should have first sought clarity from the Supreme Court on the constitutionally prescribed method of voting before proceeding with the consideration and passage of the Constitutional Amendment Bill.
Tunis said the Speaker’s explanation during Monday’s proceedings raised serious concerns about the interpretation of the Constitution and suggested that the Speaker himself appeared uncertain about the appropriate voting procedure.
“The Speaker made a statement yesterday that is striking to all. After reading several sections of the Constitution yesterday, he should have put the whole process on hold and quickly reached out to the Supreme Court,” Tunis stated.
He maintained that seeking the Supreme Court’s interpretation before proceeding would have provided the necessary constitutional guidance and prevented further controversy surrounding the parliamentary process.
According to Tunis, the APC’s decision to walk out of Parliament was based on its belief that the Speaker had taken the wrong approach in handling the disputed voting procedure.
He also rejected arguments by Members of Parliament on the ruling SLPP side that the two-thirds requirement under Section 108 applies only to the Bill as a whole, while individual clauses could be voted on by a simple majority.
Tunis argued that the title and substance of the legislation are clearly about constitutional amendments, and therefore dismissed the suggestion that Parliament could treat the individual clauses differently from the constitutional amendment process itself.
He maintained that Parliament should have suspended the process pending a definitive interpretation of the relevant constitutional provisions by the Supreme Court.
The APC spokesperson’s comments come amid growing controversy over the parliamentary procedure used in considering the Constitutional Amendment Bill and whether the voting threshold applied during the clause-by-clause stage was consistent with the requirements of the 1991 Constitution.
