Private legal practitioner Prince Benson Mankotam has expressed disappointment over the disturbances in Parliament following disagreements over the Kpandai seat but says incidents of that nature no longer shock Ghanaians.
The Minority on Tuesday, December 9, clad in black, protested the Clerk’s letter to the Electoral Commission notifying it of a rerun in the Kpandai Constituency, creating a major scene in the House.
In an interview on Morning Starr with Naa Dedei Tettey, Lawyer Mankotam noted that similar chaotic episodes have occurred in the past—including the night before President Akufo-Addo’s second-term swearing-in—and have contributed to a decline in public confidence.
“I am very disappointed, but I am not surprised,” he said. “People who are called honourable should not reduce the legislative arm of government to a playground.”
The latest clash arose from the Clerk’s communication to the EC that the Kpandai seat had become vacant—an action the Minority strongly opposed, arguing that the case was still in court.
However, Mr. Mankotam insists the Clerk acted lawfully after the Tamale High Court ordered a rerun and the mandatory seven-day window elapsed.
He stressed that Parliament could not rely on an application for judicial review to halt the constitutional requirement to notify the EC.
Meanwhile, the EC has gone ahead to set December 30, 2025, insisting it is acting according to the court order.
Source: Starrfm.com.gh
