Ghana Supreme court overturn speaker of parliament ruling wey declare four seats vacant afta weeks of ‘confusion’

Di Supreme Court of Ghana don overturn one ruling by the speaker of parliament wey declare say four seats of members of parliament dey vacant On 17 October .

Di court tok for dia 5-2 majority decision say di speaker don do mistake say im rely on one ruling for 7 November 2020 by di former speaker of parliament wey declare seat of one MP for Fomena vacant afta di legislator comot for di goment party (NPP).

Di majority leader wey carry di mata go di court tok say “dis na di moment for everibodi to rally around democracy wEY be di path di NPP majority caucus don choose to ensure say we keep di rule of law.”

“We dey expect our colleagues for di oda side including di speaker of parliament to respect di outcome of dis case so say we go move on as a nation,” im add.

Di kontri attorney general Godfred Yeboah Dame tell journalists say “whenever di court speak, na clear order, na so pipo gat to respect di decision.”

Dis verdict don open di way for parliament to sit and do dia business afta weeks of confusion.

Wetin happun

Di speaker Alban Bagbin bin rely on di kontri constitution for article 97 (1)(g) wen im declare di seats of four MPs (two from di NPP, one from di opposition national democratic congress (NDC) and one independent candidate), empty.

“Sake of di MPs wey dey affected don tok say dey go contest for di December election on di ticket of anoda party wey be different from di one wey carry dem enta parliament for di 2020 elections.” Na so e tok.

Im also tell di house of legislature say im decision dey according to di standing orders of parliament.

Di four MPs wey dey affected na Peter Yaw Kwakye-Ackah, NDC MP for Amenfi Central for di Western Region wey don dey contest as independent candidate, Andrew Amoako Asiamah, Independent member for Fomena Constituency for di Ashanti Region wey now dey contest on di NPP ticket, Kwadjo Asante, NPP MP for Suhum for di Eastern Region, wey also dey contest as Independent Candidate for di same constituency, and Hon Cynthia Mamle Morrison, NPP MP for Agona West Constituency for di Central Region wey also don turn independent.

As a result of di ruling by di speaker, di old parliament setup wey get 137 MPs for both sides wit one independent candidate wey don dey do business wit di goment party (to make it 138), don change.

Di NDC afta di ruling get di majority of 136 MPs as di goment party - NPP get 135 MPs.

Oga wey don dey lead di opposition NDC side for parliament wey also file di motion say make dem declare di seats vacant, tok say “we don move from minority to majority wia we go use dis status to stand for di pipo of Ghana.”

“Our kontri don go through plenty wahala under dis goment, wey you neva fit blame us sake of we neva get di working majority for parliament, but now, we don get am, na so we go begin di process to reset dis kontri,” di leader of di NDC caucus Dr Casiel Ato Forson tok journalists.

Leader for di goment NPP side wey also be MP for Effutu for di central region pursue di mata for di supreme court – im challenge wetin di speaker tok for im ruling.

Oga Alexander Afenyo-Markin explain say di decision by di MPs say dem go contest for di next election to be part of di ninth parliament, no affect tins for dis current (eight) parliament.

Im also ask di supreme court say make dem interpret di part of di constitution wey di speaker use to make im ruling, “I no run to di supreme court to hide, I don see confusion since that be why I go di court.”

‘Confusion ova who be majority for parliament’

Before di supreme court order parliament say make dem stop di ruling by di speaker on 17 October, while di court bin dey consider di mata proper, di speaker Alban Bagbin bin tok say “di court no fit to dey interfere wit di operations of parliament.”

For one press conference, Alban Bagbin tok say di “tins wey di judiciary and di executive dey do, na direct wahala to di jurisdiction, authority, powers and work of parliament.”

“E dey clear say di judiciary and di executive don dey come togeda to make parliament become weak,” di speaker tok.

Lawmakers for di NPP and NDC side don claim say dem be majority for parliament – wia dia leaders also bin dey clash wit journalists ova dia designation.

Both sides say make dey call dem majority for parliament.

Alban Bagbin don indefinitely suspend sitting wia im adjourn di house afta confusion between di MPs ova wia dem go sit for parliament – as di MPs for di opposition side don sit for di side of di NPP.

Na so for 7 November, im again adjourn di house indefinitely as di goment NPP MPs no go parliament afta dey diaserf bin trigger recall to do wetin dem describe as “urgent government business.”

Wit dis supreme court 5-2 ruling, di speaker fit recall di house make dem carry out di rest of parliament business bifor di house go rise ahead of di 7 December general elections.