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Supreme Court Halts Speaker’s Ruling Removing 4 MPs from Parliament

The Supreme Court has granted a stay of execution on the ruling by Speaker Alban Bagbin that declared four parliamentary seats vacant, effectively halting the enforcement of that decision.

As a result, Parliament has been directed to continue recognizing and allowing the four MPs to fully represent their constituencies and perform their official duties. This stay will remain in place until the Supreme Court issues its final ruling on the matter, extending beyond the 10-day period initially requested by the applicants.

The request to stay the Speaker’s decision was made by Members of Parliament from the New Patriotic Party (NPP). They sought the intervention of the Court to prevent the implementation of the ruling, which would have impacted three of their colleagues as well as one MP from the National Democratic Congress (NDC).

The application was filed ex parte, meaning the Speaker and Parliament were not part of the initial proceedings, allowing the Court to review the NPP MPs’ request without the participation of the Speaker or parliamentary authorities at this stage.

The case was heard by a panel of Supreme Court justices led by Chief Justice Gertrude Torkonoo, with Justices Mariama Owusu, Kwame Adibu Asiedu, Ernest Yao Gaewu, and Yaw Darko Asare also involved in the ruling.

Representing the NPP MPs, lawyers Paa Kwesi Abaidoo and former Attorney General Joe Ghartey successfully argued for the stay, which means the four MPs’ seats remain valid for now.

The MPs affected by the ruling include Cynthia Morrison (Agona West), Kwadjo Asante (Suhum), Peter Kwakye Ackah (Amenfi Central), and Andrew Asiamah (Fomena), all of whom either chose to run as independents or changed party affiliations ahead of the 2024 elections.

This move had led to a shift in the parliamentary balance, with the NDC, previously the Minority, now holding a majority of 136 seats compared to the NPP’s 135, triggering leadership changes within Parliament.

However, with the Supreme Court’s ruling, parliamentary leadership and dynamics are restored to their previous state.

This report was sourced from myjoyonline.com.

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