Former Deputy Attorney General and MP for Bolgatanga East, Dr. Dominic Akuritinga Ayine, has voiced disappointment over the New Patriotic Party's (NPP) entrenched stance, which he believes led to Speaker Alban Bagbin's indefinite suspension of Parliament.

In an interview with TV3 on October 22, 2024, Dr. Ayine expressed that he had hoped for a negotiated settlement between the political parties. He criticised the NPP caucus in Parliament for what he described as a 'zero-sum' approach to politics, stressing that the majority-minority dynamic should only play a role during decision-making processes.

"I thought that there would have been a negotiated settlement. The entrenched position taken by the NPP on this matter—they should have come off it for us to have a settlement," Dr. Ayine remarked. "We don’t need a zero-sum approach to the conduct of our politics. The problem is the NPP always wants to have its way."

Dr. Ayine also commented on the absence of several MPs from the session, explaining that many were engaged in parliamentary travel, which contributed to the reduced numbers in the House.

On the indefinite adjournment of Parliament, Dr. Ayine dismissed the notion that the country was being held to ransom. He explained that Parliament could be recalled if necessary.

"Well, I don’t think anyone is holding the country to ransom. Parliament has been adjourned, but if it needs to be recalled, about 93 or 94 MPs must sign a petition for that to happen. The Speaker also has the discretion to recall Parliament," he explained.

"For now, there’s an impasse on this issue, which is why people think the country is being held to ransom. I’m sure we’ll resume normal parliamentary business before the year ends, and certainly after the elections, Parliament will continue to function normally, in line with the Constitution," he added.

Background

The suspension of Parliament follows a Supreme Court directive to stay Speaker Bagbin's ruling on the vacation of four parliamentary seats, which has intensified political tensions between the NPP and the National Democratic Congress (NDC).

On October 18, 2024, the Supreme Court stayed Speaker Bagbin’s ruling, after considering an application from NPP Members of Parliament. This ruling, which was stayed pending further legal review, concerned the declaration of four seats as vacant.

Bagbin’s decision on October 17, 2024, followed a motion by Minority Leader Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, which sought to declare four seats vacant. This decision would have given the NDC the majority in Parliament. Bagbin ruled that the MPs in question violated Article 97(g) and (h) of the 1992 Constitution by choosing to contest the December 7, 2024, parliamentary elections as independents or on the tickets of different political parties than those they originally represented.

The Speaker explained that Article 97(g) and (h) aimed to prevent defection and cross-carpeting, ensuring party loyalty throughout an MP’s tenure in Parliament.

The four MPs affected by this ruling were Cynthia Morrison (Agona West), Kwadjo Asante (Suhum), Andrew Amoako Asiamah (Fomena), and Peter Kwakye Ackah (Amenfi Central).

While the NDC supports Speaker Bagbin's ruling, the NPP has backed the Supreme Court's decision to stay the ruling.

After days of anticipation, Speaker Bagbin suspended Parliament indefinitely due to a lack of quorum for decision-making, despite there being enough MPs present to hold a meeting.

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