According to Justin Kodua Frimpong, general secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), there isn’t a discussion over the composition of the 8th Parliament at the moment.
In Ghana’s Parliament, the NDC Parliamentary Group makes up the Minority Caucus with 137 MPs, while the NPP Parliamentary Group and the Independent Member of Parliament make up the Majority Caucus with 138 MPs, he stated.
According to him, this was the case when the 8th Parliament was sworn in on January 7, 2021, and it remains thus now.
“Until the Supreme Court makes a final decision regarding the suit filed by the Majority Leader, nothing has changed, at least not yet.”
His remarks come after the speaker’s decision to declare seats vacant, which the Supreme Court stopped from being carried out, and the battle in parliament over who holds the majority.
The NDC party occupied the majority side of the chamber on Tuesday, October 22, while the NPP MPs were absent.
Speaking during a news conference on Wednesday, October 23, in Accra, Mr. Kodua Frimpong stated “The NPP wishes to use this opportunity to urge the Speaker of Parliament to eschew his extreme partisan posture when handling the affairs of the august house since he is not an MP. It is an extremely dangerous posture and threatens to undermine the very essence of our democracy.
“His mandate under the Constitution as well as his oath of office enjoins him to act as a referee and not a player. The Speaker must appreciate the supremacy of the Constitution and realize that neither Parliament nor himself is above the very Constitution which created his office and from which he draws his authority in Parliament. He must also realize that it is only the Supreme Court that has the mandate under the Constitution to interpret and enforce all the provisions of the Constitution.
“In case the Speaker needs a reminder on the position of the law in Ghana regarding the relationship between the Constitution and Parliament, we humbly wish to refresh his memory by citing two authorities from the highest court of the land.”
Source: Ghanatodayonline.com