By Iddi Yire/Elsie Appiah-Osei
Accra, Oct 17, GNA – The New Patriotic Party (NPP) Parliamentary Caucus will boycott the sittings of the House until the Supreme Court determines the Speaker’s declaration of four Parliamentary seats vacant.
Mr Alexander Kwamina Afenyo-Markin, the Majority Leader and Leader of Government Business in Parliament, made this known on Thursday, October 17, during a press briefing following Speaker Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin’s ruling, which declared four Parliamentary seats vacant.
The seats are Amenfi Central, Fomena, Agona West and Suhum Constituencies, for breaches of Article 9(1)(g) and (h) of the 1992 Constitution.
Article 97(1) states: “A member of Parliament shall vacate his seat in Parliament — (g) if he leaves the party of which he was a member at the time of his election to Parliament to join another party or seeks to remain in Parliament as an independent member; or (h) if he was elected a member of Parliament as an independent candidate and joins a political party.”
Mr Afenyo-Markin, who led his side of the House to stage walkout from the Chamber of the House minutes after the Speaker’s ruling, said: “We are boycotting Parliament until this matter is settled at the Supreme Court”.
The affected Members of Parliament (MPs) include Mr Peter Yaw Kwakye-Ackah, MP for Amenfi Central, who was elected on the ticket of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), but had filed with the Electoral Commission (EC) to contest the upcoming 2024 parliamentary elections as an independent candidate.
Mr Andrews Amoako Asiamah, Independent Member of Parliament for Fomena, and currently serving as the Second Deputy Speaker, but had filed to contest the 2024 parliamentary elections on the ticket of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
Mr Kwadjo Asante, Member of Parliament for Suhum, who was elected on the ticket of the NPP, but had filed with the EC to contest the upcoming 2024 parliamentary elections as an independent candidate and Madam Cynthia Mamle Morrison, MP for Agona West, who was elected on the ticket of the NPP, had filed with the EC to contest the upcoming 2024 parliamentary elections as an independent candidate.
The Speaker’s ruling, which was a formal response to the House in relation to a matter of significant parliamentary and constitutional importance, was brought to the attention of the House on Tuesday, October 15, by Dr Cassiel Ato Baah Forson, the Minority Leader and NDC MP for Ajumako/Enyan/Essiam, pursuant to Order 93 of the Standing Orders of Parliament.
Mr Afenyo-Markin, who disagreed with the Speaker’s ruling alleged that the Speaker colluded with the NDC Minority to bring confusion to the House.
“It is clear that Mr Speaker avoided service of the writ to do the bidding of the NDC. It is so clear but we as the Majority Caucus we believe in the law. As the Majority Caucus we are immediately boycotting Parliament until this matter is determined by the Supreme Court,” Mr Afenyo-Markin stated.
“The Speaker has no right to interpret the Constitution. And it is so clear that what he did was to give advantage to the NDC and do the bidding of the NDC.
“We are not going to go further to litigate, we have a process at the court. We will follow it up, if the court makes the pronoucement; we will respect the orders of the court. Because we believe that the issues we have raised are issues of interpretation.”
GNA