Majority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin has announced that he has filed an injunction application at the Supreme Court in response to the minority’s attempts to declare the seats of independent candidates vacant.
This development follows the announcement by former Minority Leader Haruna Iddrisu that his side of the house plans to invoke Article 97(1)(g) of the Constitution, which states that an MP shall vacate their seat if they leave the party under which they were elected or seek to remain in Parliament as an independent candidate.
Haruna Iddrisu claims that he has already written to the Speaker to declare four parliamentary seats vacant, including three held by NPP MPs and one by an NDC MP.
If this action succeeds, the NDC, currently with 137 MPs, would become the majority party, significantly shifting the balance of power in Parliament.
Majority Leader Afenyo-Markin expressed his desire to avoid a precedent set in 2020 when then-NPP MP Andrew Amoako Asiamah’s seat was declared vacant. He is confident that the Supreme Court will settle this issue.
Constitutional lawyer Justice Abdulai noted that there is minimal legal flexibility for the four Members of Parliament (MPs), who risk losing their seats after revealing their intentions to run as independent candidates.
Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/103.5FM/Jasmine Adjei Anyetei