Former Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Nii Ayikoi Otoo, has insisted that the Supreme Court (SC) order to Parliament concerning the judgment on Gyakye Quayson should not be too difficult to carry out.
He said the order was not ambiguous as some were trying to make it seemed and lamented that some persons were only playing politics with the judgment.
Upon resumption of Parliament on June 6, Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin told the House leadership must confer to find out how the order would be carried out.
He hinted that the legislative arm of government may have to go back to the Supreme Court for clarity in carrying out the order, adding that the order did not say the Speaker should expunge Mr Quayson’s name and did not say any Member of Parliament (MP) or Clerk should expunge his name but it said the institution called Parliament which must carry out the order.
But Mr Bagbin stated that there were no procedures laid down by any rules of practice of the House to comply with the May 17, 2023, order of the Supreme Court.
The court had directed the legislature to expunge the name of Mr Quayson from all records of Parliament as his election on December 7, 2020 was deemed null and void.
According to him, the only way the institution could carry out the order was for the institution to reason together and that is only done in a sitting where opportunity is given to MPs to think through it.
“I don’t want to assume powers that are not clearly spelt out in any law, I did indicate and mentioned to some judges of the Supreme Court that there is need for clarification,” Mr Bagbin noted.
However, Nii Otoo reiterated that there was no ambiguity regarding the order since he claimed the Speaker beat a retreat himself when he first said the name should be there and later on when the Clerk whispered into his ears said the seat had been declared vacant and he came back and said they should not put his name there.
“They should pass a resolution in view of the judgment of the Supreme Court, Gyakye Quayson’s swearing-in, election or whatever is deemed not to have taken place and for all purposes he never became part of the Eighth Parliament
A new Member of Parliament is expected to represent Assin North Constituency in the Central Region next month as a by-election has been scheduled for June 27.
Mr Quayson could be returning as he is set to be the parliamentary candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the by-election.
