Parliamentary crisis: We’re not getting the truth from either side – Prof. Agyemang Duah
Prof. Baffour Agyemang-Duah, a former United Nations Senior Governance Advisor, believes that both the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) caucuses of parliament are not telling the public the truth regarding the ongoing developments in Parliament.
“It seems to me, just as they say in war, the first casualty is truth, and it seems the same way in political conflicts like the one we have. The first casualty is truth. We are not getting the truth from either side, and that in itself is a crisis. So, if the Speaker said there is no political crisis, maybe he could be right. But the fact that he [Alban Bagbin] says Parliament is alive and working while we know Parliament has been shut down is contradictory.”
He added, “So I don’t know where the truth lies.”
Prof Agyemang-Duah further pointed out that the situation is “unprecedented in our republic, where there is an open conflict between the court and Parliament,” adding, “This is a very interesting development that we have never seen before, and I think it is important for our leaders to know that this is something we need to address and stop as soon as possible.” He made these comments on Saturday, 9th November 2024.
He made the comments in reaction to the Speaker of Parliament’s statement that there is no constitutional crisis in the country, as suggested by the Chief Justice, Justice Gertrude Torkornoo.
On Wednesday, 30th October, the Chief Justice questioned Thaddeus Sory, the lawyer for Speaker Alban Bagbin, as to why he had not filed the necessary documents for Bagbin before the deadline that was due on that day.
Alban Bagbin has filed an application at the Supreme Court to overturn a previous ruling by the court that set aside his declaration of four parliamentary seats vacant.
According to the Chief Justice, the matter before the judiciary is one of national urgency, and thus the legal counsel needed to be timely.
“This is a constitutional crisis. We’re living in a country where Parliament is not sitting. What is going on?” she queried.
For Prof Agyemang-Duah, the situation is unacceptable, especially with the December elections fast approaching.
“We have a few weeks to go before the elections and to change the government, so to create this situation where Parliament is at loggerheads with the judiciary, and vice versa, I think is unwarranted,” he said.
He then suggested that an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanism be used to address the issue, rather than relying on the courts.