Parliamentary proceedings have been indefinitely suspended by Speaker Alban Bagbin, amid an ongoing dispute regarding vacant seats in the House.
The decision to adjourn came after a session where members of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) took seats on the Majority side of the aisle. Earlier, Members of Parliament from the New Patriotic Party (NPP) had walked out in protest after the NDC MPs, claiming they now held the majority, occupied the Majority side of the chamber.
During the brief session, Speaker Bagbin agreed with a point raised by MP Francis-Xavier Sosu, affirming that the official records should reflect that, following the NPP’s walkout on Thursday, they were in fact the Minority.
NPP MPs, led by Effutu MP Alexander Afenyo-Markin, left the chamber earlier, retreating to their offices while awaiting further instructions from Speaker Bagbin on how to proceed. Afenyo-Markin stated that they chose to leave peacefully to avoid any physical confrontations, emphasizing their commitment to maintaining Ghana’s reputation as a peaceful nation.
“We didn’t cause any disruption. We left quietly and informed the Speaker that the appropriate venue to address these grievances is in court,” Afenyo-Markin explained. “We expect our colleagues in the NDC to act accordingly, but ultimately, it will be up to the Speaker to make a final determination. The country is watching, and this is a crucial moment for the Speaker to uphold peace.”
Later, Speaker Bagbin returned to the House and resumed proceedings, acknowledging that while the chamber had sufficient members to carry out business, it lacked the required numbers to make formal decisions. Responding to the Madina MP’s request for a correction in the records from Thursday’s session, Bagbin clarified his stance on the way forward.
The Speaker also revealed that he had been formally served with a court order related to his previous ruling on the status of four MPs.
Background
On October 18, the Supreme Court issued a stay of execution on Speaker Bagbin’s earlier ruling, which had declared four parliamentary seats vacant. The Court instructed Parliament to recognize the four MPs as fully representing their constituencies, allowing them to continue their official duties.
This stay will remain in place not for the initially requested 10-day period, but until the Supreme Court delivers its final verdict on the matter. The NPP MPs filed the application to halt Bagbin’s ruling, as it would have affected three of their colleagues and one NDC member.
The application was filed ex parte, meaning Speaker Bagbin and Parliament were not directly involved in the initial proceedings. This allowed the Court to consider the NPP’s request without requiring an immediate response from the Speaker or other parliamentary figures.
The case was heard by a panel of Supreme Court justices led by Chief Justice Gertrude Torkonoo, along with Justices Mariama Owusu, Kwame Adibu Asiedu, Ernest Yao Gaewu, and Yaw Darko Asare, who collectively issued the ruling to stay the Speaker’s decision.
Reported by MyABCLive.com, sourced from Myjoyonline.com
