Speaker Alban Bagbin and Alexander Kwamina Afenyo-Markin
The leader of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Members of Parliament, Alexander Kwamina Afenyo-Markin, has slammed the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, for his handling of the controversy surrounding the declaration of four seats in the House as vacant.
Speaking to the media at Parliament after the Speaker adjourned the meeting indefinitely for the second time in less than a month, Afenyo-Markin accused the Speaker of threatening the country’s democracy with his actions.
He accused the Speaker of supervising chaos in the Parliament of Ghana, which he said his side would not tolerate.
The leader of the NPP caucus also criticised the Speaker for remarks he made at his press briefing on Wednesday, November 10, 2024.
“The Speaker is setting the country on fire. Yesterday we were disappointed with his reconciliatory posture during his press conference,” he said.
Afenyo-Markin further blamed the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Members of Parliament, accusing them of causing the current turmoil in the House.
He alleged that the NDC MPs have deliberately refused to follow the Supreme Court’s order to reverse the Speaker’s declaration of the four seats as vacant, which had led to their claim of a Majority Caucus.
He argued that the NDC MPs have taken this stance to hinder government business and damage its popularity among voters, particularly with the 2024 general election approaching.
Afenyo-Markin, therefore, urged Ghanaians to hold the Speaker and the NDC accountable for the current unrest in the House.
Background:
The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, once again suspended the sitting of the House sine die (indefinitely).
The suspension was due to the NPP MPs boycotting the House’s sitting on Thursday, November 7, 2024.
The Speaker explained that he had to suspend the meeting indefinitely because the House lacked the numbers required to make decisions.
He also stated that there was no business before the House for consideration as the Business Committee of Parliament did not meet to present one to the plenary.
Bagbin expressed his frustration at the absence of the NPP Members of Parliament, as he had summoned the House upon the request of the leadership of the MPs.
On Tuesday, October 22, 2024, Alban Bagbin adjourned the sitting of the House sine die (indefinitely), just a week after Members of Parliament reconvened following a long recess, citing a lack of quorum for decision-making after the NPP MPs boycotted proceedings.
The NPP MPs walked out of Parliament after the National Democratic Congress (NDC) MPs occupied the Majority side of the House.
The Speaker declared four seats in the House vacant after being petitioned by NDC MPs following the decision of the affected MPs to contest the upcoming December 2024 elections as independents or on different party tickets.
This declaration would have shifted the balance of power in Parliament, making the NDC the majority party.
However, the Supreme Court stayed the Speaker’s ruling on October 18, 2024, pending further review after the leader of the NPP MPs, Alexander Kwamina Afenyo-Markin, challenged Bagbin’s declaration in court.
The affected seats include those held by Cynthia Morrison (Agona West), Kwadjo Asante (Suhum), Andrew Amoako Asiamah (Fomena), and Peter Kwakye Ackah (Amenfi Central).
Watch Speaker Bagbin’s full speech on vacant seats brouhaha
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