Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, Minority Leader, has stated that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) parliamentary caucus will initiate moves to take over leadership of the House on Tuesday, October 22.
Dr. Forson disclosed this during a press conference at Parliament House in Accra moments after the Speaker of Parliament Alban Sumana Bagbin made a declaration of four parliamentary seats vacant.
The seats are Amenfi Central, Fomena, Agona West, and Suhum constituencies for breaches of Article 97 (1)(g) and (h) of the 1992 constitution by the Members of Parliament.
Article 97(1) states: “A member of parliament shall vacate his seat in parliamentary (g) if he leaves the party of which he was a member at the time of his election to parliament to join another party or seek to remain in Parliament as an independent member or (h) if he was elected a member of parliament as an independent candidate and joins a political party.”.
The affected members of parliament include Mr. Peter Yaw Kwakye Ackah, MP for Amenfi Central, who was elected on the ticket of the National Democratic Congress but had filed with the electoral commission to contest in the forthcoming parliamentary election as an independent candidate.
Mr. Andrew Amoako Asiamah, an independent member of Parliament for Fomena, is currently the second deputy speaker of parliament but had filed to contest the 2024 parliamentary election on the ticket of the New Patriotic Party.
Mr. Kwadjo Asante, member of parliament for Suhum, who was elected on the ticket of the NPP but had filed with the electoral commission to contest the upcoming 2024 parliamentary election as an independent candidate, and Madam Cynthia Mamle Morrison, Mp for Agona West, who was elected on the ticket of the NPP but filed with the electoral commission to contest the upcoming 2024 parliamentary election as an independent candidate.
The speaker’s verdict was a formal response to the house concerning a matter of significant parliamentary and constitutional mandate, which was brought to the attention of the house on Tuesday, October 15, by Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, the Minority Leader, and Mp for Ajumako, Enyan, and Essiam, according to Order 93 of the Standing Order of Parliament.
However, following the speaker’s ruling, the composition of Ghana’s legislature is now 135 NPP Members of Parliament and 136 NDC Members of Parliament.
Dr. Forson noted that the NDC parliamentary caucus was now in the New Majority in Parliament.
He reiterated that the NDC parliamentary caucus would be electing a second deputy speaker of the house on Tuesday, October 22. He said the NDC Caucus was in parliament to do the business of the people of Ghana, declaring that “we are here to begin the process to reset our country.”
“Our country has experienced significant challenges; frequently, Ghanaians have accused the parliament of failing to advocate for their interests. However, we cannot hold the NDC Minority responsible as we lack a working majority.”
Dr. Forson thanked the speaker for standing with the people of Ghana, respecting the Constitution of the Republic of Ghana, and respecting the precedence and standing order of the parliament of Ghana.
Ghana | Atinkaonline.com | Gayheart Akeleroa