The National Democratic Congress (NDC) caucus in Parliament has vowed to protect its newly acquired majority status when the house resumes on Tuesday, despite a recent Supreme Court ruling that nullified the declaration of four parliamentary seats as vacant.
The Supreme Court, through a 5-member panel chaired by the Chief Justice, temporarily froze Speaker Alban Bagbin’s decision to declare these seats vacant due to MPs allegedly switching political allegiance.
Addressing the media, the leader of the NDC Majority Caucus, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, expressed confidence that the NDC would maintain its majority and leverage its new position to push significant legislative changes, including the abolishment of the controversial E-levy and betting taxes.
“We are determined to use our majority to ease the burden on Ghanaians. We will remove the E-levy and other nuisance taxes like the betting tax. Our goal is to alleviate the hardship caused by these policies,” Dr. Forson declared.
The NDC’s newfound majority emerged after Speaker Alban Bagbin declared the seats of four MPs vacant due to their actions, which, according to the Speaker, violated Article 97(1)(g) and (h) of the 1992 Constitution.
These MPs either left their parties to contest as independent candidates in the upcoming 2024 elections or switched their allegiance to another party, actions that triggered the constitutional provision that mandates MPs to vacate their seats under such circumstances.
The affected MPs are:
- Peter Amewu (MP for Hohoe, who contested on the ticket of the New Patriotic Party but is now running as an independent).
- Andrew Asiamah Amoako (MP for Fomena, an independent MP who now intends to contest on the NPP ticket).
- Kwame Morrison (MP for Dormaa West, who was elected on the NPP ticket but is now standing as an independent candidate).
- Yao Tettegah (MP for Ningo Prampram, who has also opted to contest as an independent).
Dr. Forson emphasized that, as a result of these developments, the NDC now holds 136 seats in Parliament, effectively giving them the majority over the NPP’s 125 members.
However, the Supreme Court’s ruling to freeze the Speaker’s declaration of vacancies has thrown the parliamentary balance into uncertainty. Despite this, Dr. Forson reiterated that the NDC would not relinquish its majority status and would continue to push for policies that serve the interests of ordinary Ghanaians.
“We will jealously protect our new majority status. No amount of pressure or interference will deter us from our responsibilities to the people of Ghana. This is not about political maneuvering; it’s about upholding the constitution and ensuring the people’s interests are represented,” he stressed.
In a separate development, the NDC’s Chief Whip and MP for Adaklu, Governs Kwame Agbodza, raised concerns over intelligence reports suggesting that the government might deploy military personnel to Parliament on Tuesday.
He warned the government against such an action, stressing that any attempt to involve the military in parliamentary affairs would be a breach of the constitution and a dangerous precedent.
“We have picked up credible information that the government intends to deploy the military to the chamber of Parliament. Let me make it clear: we will do everything within our power to protect the constitution and prevent any unconstitutional interference in parliamentary proceedings,” Agbodza cautioned.
The NDC has called on Speaker Bagbin to uphold the integrity of Parliament and resist any undue external influence, particularly as the nation moves closer to the 2024 elections.
According to the NDC leadership, any attempt to disrupt the natural course of parliamentary proceedings would be strongly opposed, as the caucus remains committed to fighting corruption and advocating for the rights of ordinary Ghanaians.
The political tension in Parliament is expected to escalate as both the NPP and NDC prepare for what could be a contentious resumption of parliamentary business, with both sides vying for control in the lead-up to the next general elections.
“We are ready to fight, not with violence, but with the law and the constitution. The people of Ghana can count on us to protect their interests in Parliament,” Dr. Forson concluded.
Source: www.kumasimail.com
