By Iddi Yire
Accra, July 4, GNA – The National Democratic Congress (NDC) Parliamentary Minority has served notice to the Speaker that they will be abstaining from Parliament on days that their colleague, Mr James Gyakye Quayson, Member of Parliament (MP) for Assin North, will be making appearance in court in his ongoing trial.
This, Dr Cassiel Ato Baah Forson, the NDC Minority Leader, said was to enable the Minority Caucus to solidarise with their colleague in his ongoing trial.
Dr Forson made this known on the floor of Parliament in his remarks during the swearing-in of Mr Gyakye Quayson.
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 void.
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 has subsequently instituted criminal charges against Mr Gyakye Quayson at an Accra High Court.
The Court has decided to hear the case on a daily basis.
Dr Forson 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 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.
At the swearing-in of Mr Gyakye Quayson in the Chamber of Parliament, the NDC Minority Caucus Members of the House were clad in all white attire to show solidarity with their colleague and to celebrate his victory in the June 27 Parliamentary by-election.
Former John Dramani Mahama, the flagbearer of the NDC, led a team of the national leadership of the Party, including Mr Johnson Asiedu Nketia, the National Chairman, to grace the swearing-in of Mr Gyakye Quayson.
GNA