Member of Parliament (MP) for South Dayi, Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, said the Minority has gone to seek the suspension of the implementation of the E-levy at the Supreme Court (SC) rather than resort to the procedures and processes in Parliament.
Mr Dafeamekpor’s comment followed the comment by Majority Leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah- Bonsu that the Minority in Parliament has refused to exhaust all procedures and processes in Parliament in their quest to stop the implementation of the E-levy.
The MP for Day, who is also the Ranking Member on Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee of Parliament, explained that the passage and final assent to the bill by the President meant Parliament no longer had power to reverse the passage, except the SC.
“I want to tell him [Majority Leader] that once they passed the bill into an act and submitted for presidential assent, Parliament has become functus officio, so we can no longer remedy the defect in Parliament. The remedy must occur at the Supreme Court so he [Majority Leader] should appreciate that,” he told Evans Mensah on Top Story on Friday.
Mr Dafeamekpor asked the Majority Leader to cease any public comment on the matter and allow the apex court to determine the case before it.
He opined that the Majority Caucus was mistaken to suggest that the bill had already been assented to, hence the SC could not pronounce judgment on it.
“The Supreme Court has the power to strike down any law that has been passed by Parliament on grounds of unconstitutionality. So many provisions of our laws have been struck down by the Supreme Court on grounds of nullity. So let nobody tell you that the Supreme Court hasn’t got the power to strike down the E-levy on grounds of unconstitutionality if they so find, which we are urging upon them to do,” Mr Dafeamekpor.
The Majority Caucus in Parliament on Friday held a press conference at which they described as “dead on arrival” the Minority’s application to the Supreme Court seeking an injunction on the implementation of the Electronic Transaction Levy (E-Levy). – myjoyonline
