The Majority Leader in Parliament, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, has filed an injunction application at the Supreme Court to challenge the Minority’s stance against four independent candidates.
This follows a petition by Tamale South MP, Haruna Iddrisu, to the Speaker of Parliament, requesting the seats of three Majority MPs and one Minority MP to be declared vacant due to their decision to run as independent candidates in the December 7 polls.
This is in line with Article 97 (1)(g) of the Constitution which states that an MP shall vacate their seat if they leave the party they were elected under or seek to remain in Parliament as an independent candidate.
Speaking at a media briefing on Tuesday, October 15, Mr Afenyo-Markin said a Supreme Court ruling would settle the ongoing controversies surrounding the four seats.
The majority leader was of the view that the law does not permit by-elections within three months of a general election which would mean the New Patriotic Party (NPP) would lose three MPs if the motion succeeds.
This would consequently make the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) which currently has 137 MPs the Majority, shifting the balance of power in parliament in a crucial election period.
He further stated that this could cause irreparable damage to the affected legislators, whose names will be expunged from the 8th Parliament of the Republic of Ghana.