Afenyo-Markin criticizes Speaker Bagbin, announces boycott over vacant seat ruling
Majority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin has announced an indefinite boycott of parliamentary proceedings following Speaker Alban Bagbin’s decision to declare four parliamentary seats vacant.
The ruling, which affects MPs Cynthia Morrison (Agona West), Kwadwo Asante (Suhum), Peter Kwakye Ackah (Amenfi Central), and Andrew Asiamah (Fomena), stems from their decisions to run as independent candidates or, in Asiamah’s case, contest under the NPP ticket.
Speaker Bagbin’s decision, grounded in constitutional provisions, ruled that by declaring independent candidacies or changing political allegiances, the MPs effectively vacated their seats. This shift now gives the National Democratic Congress (NDC) 136 seats, making them the majority in Parliament, while the New Patriotic Party (NPP) holds 135 seats.
A dissatisfied Afenyo-Markin led a walkout of NPP MPs, criticizing the Speaker for aligning with the NDC and failing to follow legal procedures. He also confirmed filing an urgent legal action with the Supreme Court to challenge the ruling, asserting that the Speaker overstepped his authority by interpreting the constitution. The Majority Leader emphasized the NPP’s commitment to respecting court decisions but vowed to resist what he called politically biased rulings.
“We as the Majority caucus immediately are boycotting parliament until this matter is determined by the Supreme Court. The speaker has no right to interpret the constitution, and it is so clear that what he did was to give an advantage to the NDC and do the bidding of the NDC.
“We are not going further to litigate. We have a process at the court, we will follow it up. If the court makes a pronouncement we will respect the orders of the court.”
The boycott further heightens tensions as the 2024 general elections draw closer, posing significant challenges for the ruling party’s parliamentary strength.
