Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, has suspended parliamentary proceedings indefinitely, citing the lack of a quorum as the reason for halting the session.
Mr. Bagbin announced the decision on Tuesday, October 22, after revealing that he had received a communication from the Supreme Court on his earlier ruling declaring four seats vacant.
The speaker, however, did not go into detail regarding the contents of the communication received from the apex court, leaving MPs and observers in the dark regarding the implications of the court’s directive.
During the brief proceedings on Tuesday, October 22, 2024, Mr. Bagbin told the House that although they had the numbers to conduct business, the House did not have the numbers to make decisions.
“I want to read the said Article 102 of the Constitution. It reads a quorum of Parliament apart from the person presiding shall be one-third of all the Members of Parliament.
“As presently constituted, the numbers presently is far above the one-third of the Members of Parliament. But by Article 104, the numbers are not sufficient for us to take decisions. And I will quote Article 104. Article 104(1) says, except as otherwise provided in this Constitution, matters in Parliament shall be determined by the votes of the majority of members present and voting with at least half of all the Members of Parliament present.
“Hon. members, we don’t have at least half of all the Members of Parliament present. Consequently, in view of the current circumstances, the fact that there’s a question on the composition and constitution of Parliament, and having regard to the public interest, and the exigencies of the affairs in Parliament. I will proceed to, in accordance with Standing Order 59, adjourn the house indefinitely, that is, sine die.
“Hon. members, I have consulted leadership, and I’m exercising my discretion to decide to suspend the meeting of the house indefinitely; the house is accordingly adjourned sine die,” the speaker added.
Earlier in the day, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) MPs had walked out, leaving the National Democratic Congress (NDC) lawmakers to occupy the House.
Leading the NPP MPs out of the chamber earlier, MP for Effutu, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, said they were retreating to their offices to wait for the speaker’s arrival to commence proceedings after the Supreme Court upheld their status as the Majority in Parliament.
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According to Mr. Afenyo-Markin, they chose the path of peace rather than confronting their opponents to avoid chaos, insisting that Ghana is a peaceful country that should be maintained as such.
The decision by the Minority to take over the seats designated for the Majority is seen as a response to the recent ruling by Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin, who declared four parliamentary seats vacant on October 17, effectively reducing the NPP’s numbers and tilting the balance of power in favour of the NDC.
The MPs—Cynthia Morrison (Agona West), Kojo Asante (Suhum), and Peter Kwakye Ackah (Amenfi Central)—are contesting the polls as independent candidates, while Andrew Asiamah (Fomena), an independent in the current parliament, returns to the NPP.
Unhappy with the proceedings, the NPP Caucus staged a walkout to secure an injunction from the apex court, which overturned Speaker Bagbin’s ruling.
It is expected that with the intervention of the Supreme Court, NPP legislators will maintain their majority status.
However, the NDC has expressed opposition to the Supreme Court ruling, declaring their intentions to resist any attempt to alter their new status.