By Iddi Yire
Accra, Oct 22, GNA – The National Democratic Congress (NDC) Parliamentary Caucus and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Parliamentary Caucus on Tuesday morning occupied the Speaker’s right-hand side of the Chamber with both sides claiming to be the Majority of the House.
Following this development, Mr Alexander Kwamina Afenyo-Markin, the Leader of the NPP Caucus, led his side of the House to match out of the Dome of the Accra International Conference Centre (AICC), where the House is temporarily meeting back to their offices in the Job Six Hundred Building Block of Parliament House, awaiting the Speaker’s directive on the way forward.
The struggle between the NPP Caucus and the NDC Caucus over which side constitutes the Majority in Parliament follows Speaker Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin’s declaration of four Parliamentary seats vacant for breach of Article 97(1)(g) and (h).
Of the four affected MPs, one is from the opposition NDC, while two are from the ruling NPP and one independent, who sits with the NPP Caucus.
This development has left the NPP Caucus with 135 MPs and the NDC Caucus with 136 MPs.
However, the Supreme Court on Friday, October 19, set aside the Speaker’s ruling and directed him to allow the four affected MPs to participate in the business of the House.
GNA