Minority Leader in Parliament, Alexander Afenyo-Markin is urging Speaker Alban Bagbin to terminate his decision to suspend four lawmakers over their involvement in the Appointment Committee chaos on Thursday night, noting it lacked legal basis.
Following disagreements over postponing the vetting of some ministerial nominees, both sides engaged in an open shouting match which eventually resulted in fisticuffs.
In the aftermath, Speaker Bagbin announced the suspension of four Members of Parliament for their participation in the unsavory scenes.
They are Nelson Dafeamekpor, MP for South Dayi and Majority Chief Whip; Hon Frank Annoh-Dompreh, MP for Nsawam-Adoagyiri and Minority Chief Whip; Hon Jerry Ahmed Shaib, MP for Weija and Second Deputy Minority Whip; and Hon Alhassan Sulemana Tampuli, MP for Gushegu.
The speaker has also established a seven-person committee to investigate the parliamentary fisticuffs.
However, in a five-page memo to Speaker Bagbin, Leader Afenyo-Markin explained that the suspension was illegal and could not be justified.
He did commend the speaker for other specific directives he made in relation to the incident, saying they were noteworthy and within the law.
“Your directives regarding damage assessment and financial accountability for any destruction
of parliamentary property, as well as the referral of potential criminal misconduct to the Ghana Police Service, are commendable steps toward reinforcing discipline and responsibility. These actions, which are aimed at ensuring that Parliament is held in high
esteem, are in line with best democratic practices and deserve recognition,” he told the Speaker in the memo.
He drew a red line on the decision to suspend the four Members of the House explaining among others, that it violated the standing orders, the constitution and other rules of the legislature.
Mr. Afenyo-Markin said the speaker had set aside Orders 33, 129 and 130 which calls for allegations of disorderly conduct to be referred to the Privileges Committee, an investigation and a report to be debated by House before punitive measures take effect.
“It is my respectful contention that these procedural safeguards were disregarded. Instead of following due process, you exercised unilateral authority to
suspend Members, a course of action that is inconsistent with established parliamentary practice and lacks procedural legitimacy,” Leader Afenyo-Markin said.
The leader noted that the Speaker’s decision had violated the right to a fair hearing as provided for in Article 19 of the 1992 Constitution.
Among the concerns raised, the Minority leader argued that his side had been “disproportionately targeted in disciplinary measures”.
“The decision to suspend three Minority Members-as against one Member of the Majority Caucus-without allowing them due process casts an unfortunate political overtone on the Speaker’s impartiality,” he argued in the memo.
The Minority leader said he wanted the suspension to be “reversed immediately as it lacks the required procedural and legal foundation”.
