The Members of Parliament (MPs) of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) have said that they will be abstaining from proceedings in the near future.
This declaration was made by Majority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin on Thursday in an interview.
Four parliamentary seats were declared vacant by Speaker of the House Alban Bagbin, prompting the protest.
The Majority Caucus will not reconvene till further notice, according to the Effutu MP, pending the resolution of a lawsuit that is presently before the Supreme Court.
“We informed the Speaker on Tuesday that the matter is before the Supreme Court, meaning we are awaiting interpretation.
So, with what has happened, we have to wait for the court to determine the issue, and we will abide by its ruling,” Afenyo-Markin said.
“We prefer to be on the side of the law rather than engage in confusion.”
The decision was made in response to a motion brought forth by Haruna Iddrisu, the former minority leader and member for Tamale South, who cited Article 97 (1)(g) of the Constitution.
Regarding the MPs who had crossed party lines before the election on December 7, he questioned their standing.
The NPP holds three of the four impacted seats, while the National Democratic Congress (NDC) holds one.
The four MPs include Mr. Andrew Amoako Asiamah, an independent MP for Fomena running on the ticket of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), and Mr. Peter Yaw Kwakye-Ackah, a National Democratic Congress (NDC) MP for Amenfi Central running as an independent.
The remaining candidates are Mr. Kwadjo Asante, the NPP MP for Suhum, and Madam Cynthia Mamle Morrison, the NPP MP for Agona West, who is running as an independent.
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has a slim lead with 136 MPs, while the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has 135 seats as a result of the Speaker’s proclamation.
Source: newsthemegh.com