The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Bagbin, yesterday officially declared four parliamentary seats vacant, with barely 50 days to the election in December.
The Members of Parliament (MPs) affected are National Democratic Congress (NDC)’s Peter Yaw Kwakye Ackah of Amenfi Central, Andrew Amoakoh Asiama of Fomena, Kwadjo Asante, New Patriotic Party (NPP)’s MP for Suhum in the Eastern Region, and NPP’s Cynthia Morrison of Agona West.
Andrew Asiamah Amoako, MP for Fomena
Peter Yaw Kwakye-Ackah, MP for Amenfi Central
“Honourable members, it is important to point that the speaker is called upon by the standing orders of parliament particularly order 18 to inform the house of the occurrence of a vacancy of the seat of a member under clause (1) b to e, g and h of article 97 of the constitution.
“Accordingly, I will proceed to inform the house that by the notification of the polls the following MPs are by their actions vacated their seats in parliament,” the Speaker said.
The decision follows an official petition to the Speaker by the NDC Member of Parliament, Haruna Iddrisu, to have the seats declared vacant since the MPs had crossed carpet.
Article 97 (1) (g) of the Constitution stipulates that an MP must vacate their seat if they leave the party under which they were elected or attempt to remain in Parliament as an independent candidate.
The said MPs, Cynthia Morrison for Agona West, Kwadjo Asante for Suhum both from the NPP, Peter Yaw Kwakye-Ackah for Amenfi Central from the NDC have filed to contest the December 7, 2024 parliamentary elections as independent candidates and Andrew Asiamah Amoako, an independent MP for Fomena, who has now filed to contest December 7, 2024 on the ticket of the NPP.
The speaker’s declaration comes after extensive discussions and arguments presented by both the Majority and Minority sides of the House concerning the petition filed by former NDC Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu.
During a heated parliamentary debate on Tuesday, Speaker Bagbin acknowledged the gravity of the matter and requested an additional two days to deliver a well-reasoned ruling.
The declaration by the speaker comes despite a suit filed by Majority Leader in Parliament and MP for Effutu, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, at the Supreme Court seeking a true and proper interpretation of Article 97 of the 1992 Constitution.
Mr Afenyo-Markin was also seeking the Court to restrain Parliament from acting on the eligibility of four lawmakers who have filed to contest the December polls as independent candidates.
Commenting on the Speaker’s declaration on the floor of parliament, Mr Afenyo-Markin reminded the Speaker of the case filed in court, but the Speaker said the house had not been served.
This ruling means that Ghana’s hung parliament which gave the governing NPP a slight upper hand as the Majority side with the support of an Independent Member of Parliament, Andrew Amoako Asiamah, will now tilt towards the opposition NDC.
Minority Leader, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, who was elated about the development said the minority caucus would take steps to assume the position as the new majority in parliament.
BY TIMES REPORTER
