The Majority in Parliament, yesterday welcomed as triumph for democracy, the Supreme Court (SC) judgment said that the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin’s acted unconstitutional when he declared vacant four seats in the house of legislature, restoring the ruling New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) majority ahead of the 7 December polls.
“The Supreme Court’s decision should not be seen as a victory for one side or a defeat for another. Rather, it represents the triumph for our constitutional democracy and the rule of law. It enforces the principle that in our Republic, every institution, no matter how exalted, must operate within the bounds of our Constitution,” majority leader, Lawyer Alexander Kwamena Afenyo Markin noted in statement released minutes after the SC decision.
The court’s decision, he acknowledged, brought much-needed clarity to the complex institutional matter that had occupied the House for some time now.
He indicated that the court’s ruling showed that the constitution does not grant the speaker the power to declare parliamentary seats vacant.
Afenyo-Markin noted “I reaffirm my utmost respect for your office and your distinguished service to our nation. This judicial interpretation of our constitution should strengthen, not weaken, the relationship between leadership and members of the House.
“With the highest regard for your wisdom and commitment to our democracy, I respectfully look forward to your exercise of your authority to reconvene Parliament, so that together, we may resume our sacred duty to the people of Ghana without further delay or discord.”
He is therefore calling on Speaker Alban Bagbin to reconvene the House to allow Members of Parliament (MPs) to resume their legislative duties, while respecting the judgment of the Supreme Court.
“This is a moment for all of us to rally around the choice we made in 1992 democracy. Democracy requires decency, and that is the path the NPP majority caucus took to ensure that we do right to the law.
“We want nothing more except to say that we expect our colleagues on the other side [NDC], including Mr Speaker, to respect the outcome of this case so that we’ll move on as a nation,” he said on yesterday.
The Efutu MP further highlighted Ghana’s democratic reputation across Africa.
According to him, “All we have is the peace of the country. All we have is our democracy. And in West Africa and in Africa as a whole, Ghana shines in the eyes of the people in terms of democracy.”
He also described the Court’s as a “feat” in Ghana’s democratic journey that all sides should honour.
The Majority Leader dismissed suggestions of partisan conflict, stating that the ruling was a matter of constitutional interpretation, not an NPP versus NDC issue.
“… It’s a matter of constitutional interpretation, and the court has given its verdict. We should all respect it and move on,” he insisted.
On Thursday, October 17, Speaker Bagbin declared four vacant parliamentary seats —three held by the NPP and one by the NDC—were vacant, shifting the balance of power in Parliament.
