By Eric Appah Marfo
Accra, Oct.18, GNA—Mr Alexander Afenyo-Markin, Member of Parliament (MP), Effutu Constituency, says Speaker Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin’s declaration of four parliamentary seats vacant is politically wrong.
“I don’t want to go into the legal issues, but politically what Mr Speaker has done is wrong, and it doesn’t help democracy. Let’s leave it that way,” he said.
He said the New Patriotic Party (NPP) caucus in Parliament would take the matter to court for a ruling and were ready to abide by the outcome even if it was not in their favour.
Mr Afenyo-Markin said in the meantime, they had decided not to show up in Parliament until the matter was determined by the court.
Speaker Bagbin on Thursday declared four parliamentary seats vacant.
The vacant seats are for the Amenfi Central, Fomena, Agona West and Suhum Constituencies.
The seats were declared vacant 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.”
The affected MPs are 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 to contest the upcoming 2024 parliamentary elections as an independent candidate.
Mr. Andrews Asiamah Amoako, Independent Member of Parliament for Fomena, who is currently serving as the Second Deputy Speaker and has filed to contest the 2024 parliamentary elections on the ticket of the NPP.
Mr. Kwadjo Asante, Member of Parliament for Suhum, who was elected on the ticket of the NPP, has 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, has filed with the EC to contest the upcoming 2024 parliamentary elections as an independent candidate.
The Speaker’s ruling was a formal response to the House in relation to a matter of significant parliamentary and constitutional importance, which 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.
The Minority Leader, with the indulgence of the House and with leave of the Speaker, raised a matter which he indicated was of urgent public importance in accordance with Order 93(1) of the Standing Orders of Parliament.
Mr Afenyo-Markin accused the NDC of fueling chaos as a means to snatch power from the NPP and urged Ghanaians to vote overwhelmingly for Dr Mahamudu Bawumia and the NPP to retain power.
“We know how they never believed in the Free SHS policy, how they don’t even have a single social intervention programme standing in their name. These are the people who want to create chaos and use that as an opportunity to come back to power.”
“NDC has nothing new to offer. NPP hasn’t been perfect and cannot be perfect, but I believe in the dreams and vision of Dr Bawumia. I believe in the new vision of digitalising our economy to create opportunities for the Ghanaian youth. On every aspect of the economy, we have done far better than we came to meet it in 2017.”
“I appeal to party members to go all out to give a resounding victory and overwhelming majority to the NPP to govern peacefully and prove to the NDC who don’t believe in the Ghana Agenda that chaos is not the way to advance democracy,” he said.
GNA