The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Bagbin yesterday declared four parliamentary seats vacant, giving way for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) leadership in Parliament to form the majority caucus.
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentary leadership, which hitherto formed the majority in Parliament, by Speaker Bagbin’s ruling is now the minority in the house of laws.
Members of Parliament who were affected by the ruling were the NDC’s Peter Yaw Kwakye Ackah of Amenfi Central constituency in the Western Region, Andrew Amoakoh Asiamah of Fomena in the Ashanti Region, Kojo Asante, NPP MP for Suhum in the Eastern Region, and NPP’s Cynthia Morrison of Agona West constituency.
Speaking on the issue the Speaker, stated that if Article 97 (1)(g) of the 1992 Constitution was only to apply to a future parliament, then there would have been no need for it to exist since the MPs in question would have completed the term of the current parliament.
He further noted that the previous incident where the former Speaker of Parliament Prof Mike Oquaye expelled the Fomena MP from the House after the NPP had informed him about his decision to go independent, was not binding on him or any other Speaker.
The Speaker further assured that once the notice of polls had duly confirmed that the four MPs were going independent, they had no business to remain as MPs in the current parliament.
The declaring of these vacant seats follows an official petition to the Speaker by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament, Haruna Iddrisu and after a debate of discussions and arguments presented by Majority and Minority sides.
The petition specifically targeted three New Patriotic Party (NPP) MPs and one MP from the NDC, invoking Article 97 (1)(g) of the Constitution.
This constitutional provision 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.
