Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin has accused the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) of abandoning its previous opposition to what it described as the “packing” of the Supreme Court following President John Dramani Mahama’s nomination of three additional justices.
Mr Afenyo-Markin made the accusation on Thursday when Parliament’s Appointments Committee was preparing to vet the nominees, after which the minority subsequently walked out.
The process, however, was stalled after the Minority objected to the timing and manner of the exercise.
He stressed that the Minority was not opposed to the nominees personally but questioned what he described as inconsistency in the NDC’s position on expanding the Supreme Court.
“The president has the power and mandate to nominate them. We are not opposed to that nomination, save that when it was Akufo-Addo’s time and he brought three Supreme Court nominees, your side argued that it amounted to the packing of the courts,” he said.
Mr Afenyo-Markin noted that Parliament had already approved seven Supreme Court nominees under President Mahama, and the approval of the latest three would bring the total number of new appointments to 10.
“So as we speak today, you have nominated seven; Parliament has passed them, and these three added to it make it 10. So what has changed? Where is your principle?” he asked.
He argued that the court’s membership would now be larger than it would have been if Parliament had approved three additional nominees proposed by former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
“Now, the numbers to the Supreme Court are far more than it would have been if Akufo-Addo’s three additional nominees had been approved by Parliament. So where is your principle of the packing of the court?” he queried.
He concluded, “Where is your principle? You have none. We so submit.”
The Minority has also objected to what it considers a rushed vetting process, arguing that there is no vacancy requiring urgent appointments and calling for more time for scrutiny and public participation.
Mr Afenyo-Markin said the Minority’s objection should be formally captured in the committee’s report to Parliament.
“Record this objection and the committee’s final determination in the report of the committee ultimately as it is presented to the House under Order 215,” he said.
He maintained that the Minority recognised the professional credentials of the nominees and the President’s constitutional authority to nominate justices but insisted that concerns remained over the size and composition of Ghana’s apex court.
