Tuesday, 22 October

Majority boycotts Parliament over Speaker's decision on four MPs

Politics
Alexander Afenyo-Markin, MP for Effutu

Members of Parliament (MPs) from the New Patriotic Party (NPP) have announced their decision to boycott parliamentary proceedings in the coming days.

Majority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin made this announcement during an interview on  Thursday.

The protest comes in response to Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin's ruling, which declared four parliamentary seats vacant. This move has heightened tensions in the House.

The Effutu MP revealed that the Majority Caucus will refrain from attending sessions until further notice, pending the outcome of a case currently before the Supreme Court.

"We informed the Speaker on Tuesday that the matter is before the Supreme Court, meaning we are awaiting interpretation.

So, with what has happened, we have to wait for the court to determine the issue, and we will abide by its ruling," Afenyo-Markin explained.

"We prefer to be on the side of the law rather than engage in confusion."

The ruling follows a motion filed by former Minority Leader and Tamale South MP, Haruna Iddrisu, who invoked Article 97 (1)(g) of the Constitution.

He challenged the status of some MPs who had crossed party lines ahead of the December 7 election.

Of the four affected seats, three belong to the NPP, and one to the National Democratic Congress (NDC).

This development has sparked considerable tension in Parliament as both sides await the Supreme Court’s interpretation.

He spoke on Accra-based Asempa FM.

Source: Classfmonline.com/Cecil Mensah