By Iddi Yire/Elsie Appiah-Osei
Accra, July 04, GNA – Speaker Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin on Tuesday, swore-in Mr James Gyakye Quayson as the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament (MP) for Assin North.
Mr Gyakye Quayson emerged victorious in the June 27th, Parliamentary by-election with 57.56 per cent of the valid votes cast.
The by-election was necessitated by the ruling of the Supreme Court, which declared the election of Mr Gyakye Quayson in the December 7, 2020, General Election as unconstitutional, null and avoid.
In a unanimous decision on May 17, 2023, a seven-member panel of the Supreme Court ordered Parliament to expunge the name of Mr Quayson as MP.
The court held that as of the time Mr Gyakye Quayson filed his nomination forms in October 2020, to contest for the Assin North seat, he had not renounced his Canadian citizenship and, therefore, was not qualified per Article 94(2)(a) of the Constitution.
The Attorney-General had subsequently instituted criminal charges against Mr Gyakye Quayson at an Accra High Court.
The Court had decided that it would hear the case on a daily basis.
At the swearing-in of Mr Gyakye Quayson in the Chamber of Parliament, the NDC Minority Caucus Members of the House were cladded in all white attires to show their solidarity with their colleague and to celebrate his victory in the June 27 Parliamentary by-election.
Dr Cassiel Ato Baah Forson, the NDC Minority Leader, in his welcome remarks, congratulated Mr Gyakye Quayson on his election as a Member of the House.
He served notice to the Speaker and the House that the Minority Caucus would be accompanying Mr Gyakye Quayson to Court any day the trial was going to be held.
He noted that just after Mr Gyakye Quayson’s swearing-in, the Minority would be leaving the Chamber of the House for the Court House in solidarity with him.
“Mr Speaker, I wish to serve notice that the entire Minority Group will accompany our colleague to Court today and any other day that he is to appear in court,” Dr Forson said.
“Mr Speaker, we are solidarising with our colleagues and we will not participate in the business of the House anytime our colleague is in court, and we will be withdrawing from the Chamber after this ceremony, if the court processes indeed, happens today.”
He lauded the good people of Assin North for reaffirming their confidence in Mr Gyakye Quayson at the just ended Parliamentary by-election on 27th of June, with an overwhelming mandate with 57.56 per cent of the valid vote cast.
Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Majority Leader and Leader of Government Business in Parliament, said the election of Mr Gyakye Quayson in the June 27, 2023, Parliamentary by-election was an election and not a re-election because the Supreme Court had ruled that the election and subsequent swearing-in of Mr Gyakye Quayson was indeed, nulled and void.
He said the eligibility and qualification criteria of Members of Parliament were set out in Article 94 of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana and that the tenure of office of MPs were also provided for in Article 97(1)(e), which every member of the House had sworn to uphold.
He continued: Which provides that “A member of Parliament shall vacate his seat in Parliament—(e) if any circumstances arise such that, if he were not a member of Parliament, would cause him to be disqualified or ineligible for election, under article 94 of this Constitution.”
“Mr Speaker if this provision can be applied, nobody from true conscience can say that this persecution or selective justice. Let us respect the constitution that we have all sworn to uphold.”
He reiterated that the Government was not doing selective justice regarding the ongoing court trial of Mr Gyakye Quayson.
Speaker Bagbin in his remarks, reminded Mr Gyakye Quayson that he represented the people of Assin North, both those who voted for him and even those who did not vote.
He said Mr Gyakye Quayson represents all the people of Assin North, just like how the president represents all the people of Ghana.
The Speaker underscored that he stood by his statement that there was some level of selective justice in the Government’s dealing with Gyakye Quayson’s issue.
Dignitaries at the swearing-in of Mr Gyakye Quayson include former President John Dramani Mahama, flagbearer of the opposition NDC.
Others are Mr Johnson Asiedu Nketia, National Chairman of the NDC; Mr Fifi Kwetey, NDC General Secretary; Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang, running mate of the NDC Presidential Candidate in the 2020 general election and Mr Sammy Gyamfi, the National Communications Officer of the NDC.
The rest are Nana Hemaa Ntiamoah of Assin Bereku and Nana Frimpong Baah, Assin Bereku Kyeadomhene.
GNA.