Members of Parliament (MPs) of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) have been told by the party’s national chairman, Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, to refrain from calling for an emergency recall of Parliament, arguing that such sessions are only used to further corrupt activities.
Speaking to supporters in the Western Region on Saturday, November 16, Asiedu Nketiah charged that the ruling caucus was pursuing questionable goals through emergency parliamentary sittings, especially as the general elections in 2024 approached.
“Let no NDC MP set foot in Parliament. If they like, they can go and burn the sea,” he declared emphatically. “There’s no work in Parliament that can be said to be an emergency. Parliament will only be recalled so they can continue with the insatiable corruption they have perpetrated for the past eight years.”
He also attacked the ruling party for supposedly trying to promote corrupt activities by taking advantage of the few weeks left in the parliamentary schedule.
“They still want to advance the corruption with just three weeks left. We won’t go close to them today or tomorrow. So, the judges should say what they want; Parliament also has its own rules, and we will work with that,” Asiedu Nketiah added.
The boycott request follows the Supreme Court’s recent ruling on Tuesday, November 12, which overturned Speaker of the House of Representatives Alban Bagbin’s proclamation that four parliamentary seats were vacant.
The majority leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin’s challenge was upheld by the court’s decision, which was handed down on Thursday, November 14.
A parliamentary seat can only be declared vacant if an MP formally changes political parties while keeping their seat in Parliament, according to the five justices who ruled in favor of the majority.
The decision was not made unanimously, though. The Supreme Court’s participation in legislative procedures was called into question by two dissenting justices who said that the Court lacked the authority to become involved in the case.
It is anticipated that Asiedu Nketiah’s decision will exacerbate tensions between Parliament’s majority and minority caucuses, particularly as the 2024 elections draw near.
By portraying the boycott as a protest against alleged misuse of power, the NDC Chairman’s allegations of corruption are consistent with his party’s larger critiques of the current administration.
The emergency recall may have trouble obtaining a quorum or obtaining the legitimacy needed for its operations if it moves forward without the involvement of NDC MPs.
As the political atmosphere heats up and both sides hone their rhetoric in the run-up to the elections, the NDC’s boycott is a reflection of this.
The impact of this order on legislative activities and whether it sparks other legal or political reactions will be closely monitored by observers.
Source: newsthemegh.com