By Godwill Arthur-Mensah
Accra, July 17, GNA-Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin says the House has not officially received formal communication from the family of the late Member of Parliament (MP) for Akwatia, Ernest Yaw Kumi, announcing his demise.
The Speaker said the family of the late MP must provide evidence to Parliament indicating the death of the legislator and not just verbal communication.
“The Clerk does not just listen to views of people or any Member of Parliament. There must be an evidence and based on that the Speaker will authorise the Clerk to issue a letter to the Electoral Commission,”Mr Bagbin explained.
The Speaker’s remarks on the floor of Parliament on Thursday followed Mahama Ayariga, the Majority Leader’s inquisition as to whether the announcement by the Minority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin on July 7,2025, announcing Ernest Yaw Kumi’s death was an official communication to the House.
Mr Bagbin ruled that the Minority Leader erred in announcing the death of Ernest Yaw Kumi to the House.
The Speaker referenced Article 112 clause five of the 1992 Constitution as amended in 1996 which states: “whenever a vacancy occurs in Parliament, the Clerk to Parliament shall notify the Electoral Commission in writing within seven days after becoming aware that the vacancy has occurred; and a by-election shall be held within 30 days after the vacancy occurred, except that where the vacancy occurred through the death of a member, the by-election shall be held sixty days after the occurrence of the vacancy”.
The Speaker said Parliament was a House governed by rules, and would properly communicate to the EC when it received formal communication from the late legislator’s family.
Meanwhile, the Minority Leader Mr Afenyo-Markin defended his decision to announce his colleague’s death on the floor of Parliament, noting that the announcement came with a caveat that “it was not an official announcement to the House”.
He said the news of Mr Kumi’s sudden demise came as a big shock to Members of Parliament and so the leadership of the House agreed at the conclave that they would suspend the day’s business while the leaders of both side of the House make comments on the matter.
The death of Ernest Yaw Kumi occurred on Monday, July 7, 2025 after a short illness.
GNA
Christian Akorlie